Love Me for Me
by Emma8745
Summary: Rachel is being forced into an arranged marriage, and is not allowed to meet the guy until the day of their wedding. One day she meets Finn Hudson and ends up falling, hard. What will she do about her arranged marriage? Will she even tell Finn about the marriage? Read to find out! Finchel A/U
1. Chapter 1

**Hello my fabulous readers!**

**Here I am with another fanfic! **

**This one is based off of a Finchel Prompt I saw on tumblr, and I thought it would be fun to write!**

**I don't own glee, I don't claim to own glee, and I'll never own glee. –Or the characters.**

**This first chapter might not seem so great, but it's just setting everything up. It will be short and not too exciting, but I promise it will get better and much more exciting. **

**Now, on to the story!**

* * *

What is this? The seventh century? Or is this just some alternate universe where my dads don't care about me anymore. Where all they want is money, because that is exactly what is happening here.

My name is Rachel Berry, and I've spent my whole life living with my two fathers in a small town called Lima, Ohio. We had a decent sized house, and terrific neighbors, but my life was far from wonderful. My fathers spent the majority of my childhood working, so they were never really around. I was always in second place to their careers, and I basically had to raise myself. I've always been extremely loyal to my father's simply because they are my fathers. I knew that it was important to respect adults, and I always treated them well. If they needed something done, I'd do it without question, and when they were home life was great. We would play games during the weeks they weren't away on some business trip and we would get along great. However, as soon as the phone started ringing, I knew the fun was over and I'd be spending the next couple of weeks on my own, only to be visited by Olivia, the nanny they hired.

Olivia wasn't exactly the best nanny in the world. She just came to eat, sleep, and make sure I wasn't dead. Sometimes she would invite a lot of her friends over and have a party during the weekends my fathers were away.

Once I turned 16 and obtained my driver's license, my fathers cancelled Olivia's services seeing as I was able to stay by myself. They also figured that because I could stay by myself, that also meant they could travel more and more, which greatly decreased the time I saw them. Our time together went from two to three weeks every month to one week. Every now and then an entire month would pass before I saw them.

Almost two years has gone by since then, and I am almost 18 years old. On any "normal" occasion I'd be thrilled that I was almost to adulthood and could finally be free of my lonely childhood. Unfortunately, my fathers recently received an offer that, in their words, they couldn't pass up.

It was an offer promising that all of their dreams would come true. They would be promoted, earn a pay raise, and be on their way to becoming the best lawyers in the United States. Remember how I mentioned that their careers always came before me? Well, the catch to accepting their offer involved me.

The person who made the offer for my dads had a nephew. The nephew was apparently a good guy, but his family always dreamed of him marrying the perfect woman. Somehow, the mother of the boy found out the Berry's had a daughter and she grew an instant liking to the daughter: me. So, she had her brother make an unforgettable offer to the Berry's in exchange for an arranged marriage between the nephew and myself.

I know, I'm almost 18! Logically in a few months I should be able to escape this terrible agreement and flee the country or something along those lines, but that isn't possible when there is a contract involved. Like I said, I've always been extremely loyal to my fathers so when they randomly returned home and asked me to sign a piece of paper, I did. Little did I know that my signature would sell me away to a man I've never met.

* * *

I was shipped out of my house to another that was across town. A taxi picked me up and drove me to the small town house that my future husband and I would later be sharing. The house was already payee for and furnished, which I'm guessing was part of the deal. I met my fathers inside the house, who were standing in the foyer, waiting for my arrival.

"Rachel, darling," my dad (Hiram) began, "come here!" He gave me a small hug, and I wasn't sure if it was genuine or some sort of apology for the situation. "Would you like us to give you a tour?"

"Umm, sure," I replied slowly, a bit skeptical of their intense stares.

"Right this way, cupcake," my daddy (Leroy) said, walking us into the family room. "Here is the main family room." Two small couches lined the back wall, and faced the rather large television set on the opposite end of the room. A large DVD case was against a wall, and I skimmed through the collection. It ranged from Broadway classics to action movies most men would enjoy. Several paintings lined the walls so decorate the room and a stone fireplace was stationed in the corner to finish off the room.

We went through the kitchen, two bathrooms, pantry, dining room, laundry room, storage room, and finally the bedroom. The _only_ bedroom. The large queen sized bed was centered against one wall, and two different wardrobes were on either side. Another bathroom was attached to the room, and it contained a double sink, a large bath/shower, and a toilet in the far side of the small room. I walled back into the bedroom and looked at my fathers.

"This is the only bedroom? The only bed?" I asked them.

"Well of course darling," Daddy replied. "You'll be a married couple. Isn't this what a newly married couple would want? It looks just like the first home your father and I shared."

_It's nice for a newly wed couple that's known each other for __**years!**_

"Dads, I-"

"Rachel," Dad cut me off. "You know how important this offer is to us. We've met this boy and I promise he is a gentleman. You'll love him."

I looked at my dad's pleading eyes and gave in. "All right. When do I get to meet him?"

"Oh," Daddy said exchanging glances with my Dad. "That's another part of the arrangement."

"What?" I asked, wishing they'd spit it out.

"You won't be meeting him until the day of the wedding," Dad finished for Daddy.

"What!" I exclaimed. "First I have to have an arranged marriage, and now I can't even know the guy? What's if he's a murderer, or a drug dealer, or something even worse?"

"Rachel, like I said, we've already met him and he's a terrific young man," Dad assured me.

"We love you Rachel, and we only want the best for you," Daddy said. "And in our opinion, this boy is the best for you."

Dad gave me a pat on the back. "Everything is going to be okay, Rachel. You'll see."

"Get some rest, you've got a big day tomorrow," Daddy said as he and my dad walked towards the front door.

"Wait, what's tomorrow?" I asked them before they left.

"Rachel, you still have to buy a wedding dress, flowers, color scheme, and everything!" Daddy told me.

"We'll see you soon!" Dad called back as the two men exited the house.

I groaned once they shut the door and sat down on a couch in the family room. I glanced around the empty and quiet room. _Now what?_

* * *

**Yeah, I know that probably wasn't the best chapter but it will get a lot better, I promise. **

**_Review_**__**and tell me what you think! Any praise or criticism is welcomed!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Happy Thanksgiving! :) **

**I want to thank everyone who left a review, followed, or favorited this story. It's nice to know that people are enjoying it!**

**As soon as this story is finished I will begin to work on the sequel to The Mystery Texter, and those who haven't read it I encourage you to do so!**

**-Chapter Two-**

* * *

I stretched out my tired limbs as I woke up the next morning. It took me forever to fall asleep the previous night because of my unfamiliar surroundings. This _place _felt nothing like a new home, but rather a permanent hotel. A fancy, private, and homey hotel, at least.

I rubbed the sleep from my eyes and looked around the room. My pink walls and white colored furniture were gone and were replaced with much more modern beige walls and standard wood furniture. I wrapped the blankets tighter around my body out of discomfort. A thought suddenly crossed my mind; shortly I will not have this bed all to myself. Soon, a stranger will occupy the other half, and _hopefully_ stay on his half.

I wrapped myself into a cocoon and snuggled deeper into the warmth of the bed. I'd let those disturbing thoughts plague my mind later.

* * *

I woke up again a few short hours later and somehow found the energy to pull my body out of the bed. I shivered and wrapped my arms tighter around myself. The temperature of the house wasn't very comfortable, but I wasn't sure if it was because of the thermostat setting or my general discomfort.

I opened the blinds and let some sunlight in the dark room, but it didn't really brighten the room in my opinion. It was still dark and gloomy, just like it was yesterday. I walked to the kitchen and pulled out the waffle maker that was pre-purchased for my so-called fiancé and me. I found ingredients for vegan waffles and immediately set to work on making the batter.

I prepared my breakfast quickly and at down at the dining room table to eat. I felt like I was on the border of insanity without having any noise around me. In my dads' house the boiler and all the water pipes made noises often, so the quietness of the new house was very unsettling.

After I cleaned my dish and wiped off the dining room table I decided to go out for a jog. In my previous morning routine, I would run on my elliptical to get in my daily energy, but in this house there wasn't a piece of exercise equipment in sight. I quickly dressed into proper running gear and headed out the front door, already feeling better in the warm summer air.

The further I got from the house, them more I felt like myself. I lived on a long road, that had houses placed very far apart. The area was wide open, and looked like it could have many more houses, but the set up looked nice anyways. After a few minutes of jogging I finally reached the house "next" to mine, and I stopped when I saw a woman in the driveway. She was clipping the grass along the concrete to make the yard look perfect, and once she saw me she placed her tool on the ground and stood up.

"Hello, there," the woman said, wiping the dirt from her hand before offering it for a handshake. "I'm Mercedes Jones. You must be the new neighbor."

"Yes," I said, shaking her hand in return. "I'm Rachel Berry. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"Ooo, fancy," Mercedes commented. She noticed the confused look I was giving her. "Most new neighbors around here are as rude as rude can possibly be. It's nice to know someone polite will be joining our little community."

"What do you mean by rude? And little community?" I asked her; already a bit frightened by the neighbors I hadn't even met yet.

"Most are just snobby, that's all," Mercedes answered my first question. "And as for the community part, this is the only suburb type housing area on this side of town. Most of the housing is apartments in the downtown area, where we have this secluded little area all to ourselves. It seems like it would be nice, but it's more like we are isolated from the rest of Lima, which makes one get to know the neighbors pretty well."

By hearing her words, I began to realize the truth to what she was saying. The little neighborhood we had was a good 15 minutes from town, and I didn't notice any other houses on the way here.

"You see, I moved here with my husband Sam when we first got married. It seemed like the perfect little started home for us. And, it was the perfect little home at first, but like I said before you begin to feel a little isolated," Mercedes said. She pointed to the house across the street from hers. "Noah Puckerman and Quinn Fabray live there. It's a nice four-bedroom home, and they moved in right after they finished high school. They had two kids during high school, and now they have three with another on the way. And the real kicker in the situation, they still aren't married and neither of them has a decent job. I have no idea how they can even afford the place."

Next, Mercedes pointed to a house that was a little further down the road. "That one belongs to Santana Lopez. Trust me, you do _not_ want to associate with her."

"Why is that?" I asked Mercedes.

"She has to be the most evil girl that ever walked the planet. Most of us have nicknamed her "Satan" because of her terrible personality. Her profession is a stripper, and don't ever ask her about her job. I don't know why but she is always defensive about it. Oh, and you'll constantly see a man over at her house. Don't ask her about him either or what they do inside. She's defensive about that too. Just avoid her at all costs."

"What about that house?" I asked Mercedes, gesturing to the house next to Santana's that was painted in various colors. "Who lives there?"

"Brittany S. Pierce, who we all swear is nuts. She enjoys unicorns, swears her cat is smoking behind her back, and thinks that birds deliver babies. Other than that she is a very sweet girl."

"Interesting," I commented.

"And last but not least we have the house of Tina Cohen Chang," Mercedes said, pointing to the house that was closest to the main road. The house was painted mostly black and had very little plants decorating the outside. "She's the sweetest thing, but you'll hardly ever see her. She's incredibly shy and suffers from a stutter. However, once you get to know her you'll love her."

I nodded; relieved to know someone else in this neighborhood was nice.

"So what's your story?" Mercedes asked me.

"My story?" I asked her.

"Yeah, everyone in the neighborhood has some sort of story. What's yours?"

I couldn't tell Mercedes the truth. I mean, what could I say? _I'm here to live with my fiancé that I've never met and won't meet until we have our arranged marriage?_ "I just recently moved out of my dads' house and was looking for a place to start on my own. Nothing too special about me."

Mercedes gave me a skeptical look, but moved on anyway. "Cool. If you just keep to yourself most of the time, I'm sure you'll love it here, and if you have any problems just remember you have me."

"Thanks Mercedes. You're information has been very helpful," I told her. "I should probably finish up my run now."

"Oh, yes. Got right ahead," Mercedes said, stepping out of my way and heading back towards her trimming. "I'll see you around."

I started jogging down the long road once again and as I passed all of the houses I thought about the information I just received about the owners. If there was one thing I knew for sure, this was not an ordinary neighborhood.

* * *

Once I had returned home from my jog, I look a quick shower. When I was finished showering and completely ready for the day I realized that it was a little bit past lunchtime, and I was already incredibly hungry. I walked to the kitchen and rummaged through the contents of the refrigerator, looking for something good to cook for lunch. I found a few TV dinners that were not vegan friendly and I made myself a mental note to stop by the local grocery store sometime.

Just as I was about to get some bread out and make myself a sandwich, I heard a knock at the door. I hurried towards the door and swung it open happily, expecting it to be one of the neighbors welcoming me to the neighborhood. I opened the door to find a taller woman with extremely short brown hair with frosted tips. She had a clipboard in her hands and a rather large purse hung from her shoulders. I noticed a car in the driveway, so I knew the woman couldn't be one of the neighbors.

"Hello," I greeted her, confused as to why this strange woman was at my house.

"Hello, you're Rachel, right?" the woman asked me, her words coming out quick and rough.

"Yes, that's me," I replied.

"My name is Marie, and I was hired as you're wedding planner," the woman said, suddenly stepping into my house uninvited.

"Oh," I said to myself out of shock, stepping back to let her in. I should have known it would be something about the wedding. My dads did say I would be working on the plans today after all. "What brings you here?" I asked Marie, watching her as she looked around the small house.

She turned around to face me, "There is so much work to do! We must get started right away!" She unexpectedly grabbed my arm and pulled me out of the house just as fast as she walked in. She allowed me the time to lock the front door before she pulled me forcefully out to her car. I was still extremely confused and a little scared. "We are going to pick out save the date cards first seeing as your wedding is coming up soon."

It was the first time someone actually mentioned the date of the wedding, and I realized I had no idea when the wedding would be taking place. "When is the wedding date, exactly?" I asked her.

"No time for silly questions!" Marie yelled. "Get in the car!"

I did as I was told and I climbed into the passenger seat quickly. I was terrified to find out how her driving was when she was in such a hurry.

Marie put the car into reverse and backed out of the driveway. She then sped off down the road, going 20 miles per hour over the 25 miles per hour speed limit. I buckled my seat belt and hung onto the door handle as she drove, and I couldn't help but wonder who would even pick a woman like this to be a wedding planner.

I felt my stomach growl, and I wished that Marie and I could stop for lunch.

I kept my mouth shut.

I was a little scared of Marie.

* * *

We spent hours looking at save the date cards, and we still found nothing. I found many cards that I thought were very tasteful, but Marie disagreed, and threw them back on the table. As we looked she didn't allow me to give my input on anything. Isn't this supposed to be _my _wedding?

After what seemed to the millionth disagreement between Marie and I, and after the hundredth time my stomach growled, I decided it was time for me to ditch Marie and find myself something to eat. While Marie was arguing with a worker at the store, I made a break for it, and ran out of the shop. I walked at a fast pace until I was a good distance from the shop, and finally slowed down and looked for a place to eat. Most of the stores were small outlet shops, displaying numerous sale items on the windows.

Finally, I found a small diner called _Lillian's_ in the center of downtown Lima. I entered the small building and took in my surroundings. The diner was very fun and bright looking, like one of those places that used to be really popular back in the day and everyone hung out at. A small bar area was along one wall, and a few booths lined the outside walls. The walls were painted orange and yellow, making everything seem so… happy. I took a seat at the bar and waved the bar tender over. As the man approached me, I read his name tag, _Ernie._

"What can I get for you, ma'am?" Ernie asked me.

I read through the menu that was in front of me and weighed my options. "Could I just have a salad, please? And a glass of water?"

"Certainly," Ernie replied, "coming right up." Ernie walked back into the kitchen that was attached to the front room, to place my order.

The man sitting a few seats down from me cleared his throat, "You new around here?"

I turned to face him, "Is it that obvious?"

He shrugged, "Most of the people who come around here are regulars, and since you had to look at the menu I figured that you've never been here."

"Well, you guessed correctly," I replied. "I just moved here from the other side of town yesterday."

"Oh, so you're from the rich side of town," he arched an eyebrow. "What's a high-class girl like yourself doing over here?"

I should have been offended by his words, but I couldn't really blame him. Lima had a rich and a poor side. Not that this side was necessarily "poor," but let's just say the other side was much better. Also, he could have easily guessed where I was from by my outfit. I hadn't really seen any other girls wearing diamond earrings, high heels, and expensive dresses around here.

"I just moved out of my parent's place, and decided to come here," I told him. "Is there something wrong with me being here?"

He took a sip out of the Pepsi he had in front of him. "No, not at all. It's just refreshing to see someone different around here for once."

Ernie placed my glass of water in front of me, and I thanked him before turning back to the man. "Different? How so?" I asked him.

"Most of the people around here are all the same. They act strange, like they all have some big secret. You, you look confident. It's nice to see some confidence for once."

I gulped after hearing his words. In reality I did have a big secret haunting me, but I didn't need to let him know that.

He finished his Pepsi and pushed the empty glass away from him. "Anyways, I have to get going." He stood up from he seat and waved at Ernie, "Thanks Ernie! I'll see you later!"

"Bye," Ernie called back before getting back to his work.

The man started walking towards the door to leave, but I stopped him from doing so.

"Wait," I said, causing his to turn around. "Don't I at least get to know your name?"

He took a few steps towards me, "I'm Finn. Finn Hudson. And you are…"

"Rachel. Rachel Berry," I told him. "It's nice you meet you, Finn."

"It's nice to meet you too, Miss Berry," Finn said before turning around again and leaving the diner. I watched as he left, and slowly turned around in my seat. _Finn Hudson._ He was an interesting man, and I was itching to know more about him.

I heard the door open behind me, and someone said, "Rachel! There you are!"

I groaned. It was Marie.

When was this day ever going to end?

* * *

**Be sure to leave a review!**

**What do you guys think so far?**

**And yes, I know, a lot of the characters are a little insane so far, but you'll get to know them better as the story plays out.**


	3. Chapter 3

**First of all, I want to say how awesome you guys are with your reviews :) Seriously, every time I get a new one I'm super happy! I wasn't sure how many people would actually like this story, and for a little while I was debating on just scratching the whole thing, but I'm glad you guys are enjoying it :)**

**I also wanted to clear the air a little, and assure you guys that this is in fact a Finchel story. **

**One last thing, I know all my Finchel stories are kind of the same in the way that there is no Finchel "fluffiness" until the last few chapters, and I wanted to let you know this one will not be the same. That gives you guys something to look forward to :)**

**I don't own glee, and enjoy the third chapter!**

* * *

Marie stayed at my house for an hour lecturing me on my secret escape earlier today. She was trying to be intimidating and really get through to me, but all I could think about was my meeting with Finn at Lillian's. There was something about him that drew me in. Maybe the way he was extremely mysterious, or maybe it was the way he was incredibly handsome. His smell… his smile… his hair… his eyes. _Finn._ I wanted to see him again. I wanted to hear his voice. I wanted to know more.

He was _very_ mysterious. He seemed too confident and too honest. Kind of like the people in my new neighborhood. Everyone had a secret. That's exactly what Finn said. Everyone had a secret. Even me. He probably had the biggest of them all.

The secret I locked away wasn't exactly a small secret. Here I am thinking about this man I barely even know the same time I am planning my arranged marriage. _Good thinking, Rachel._ I'm digging myself a hole, and before long there will be no way out.

"Are you even listening to me?" Marie yelled suddenly. I snapped out of my deep thoughts and gave her a surprised look. "You are nothing but an immature child. I don't have time for this right now." She rushed over to the door and pulled it open forcefully. "I'll see you at your next appointment, and this time be ready!" She ran out the door.

"But wait, when is the next appointment?" I asked her, but she was already out the door. I rolled my eyes and walked further into the house. This was all a big disaster.

* * *

I decided to check the mail later on in the day, not that I would have any mail; no one knew my new address. However, to my surprise, one letter was placed in the back of my mailbox. I pulled it out and read the back to see whom the letter was from. It was written in loopy cursive writing, and the top left corner read "Sam and Mercedes Evans."

As soon as I got back into the house I opened the envelope and read the writing on the note.

_Miss Rachel Berry,_

_As a "welcome to the neighborhood" event, we would love to invite you over for dinner tonight, and we will not take no for an answer. We will be expecting you at six o'clock on the dot. _

_Your neighbors, _

_Sam and Mercedes Evans_

I read the note over again and smiled at how kind my new neighbors were. At least I made one friend in this strange new place, or two including Sam. I don't think that Finn necessarily counts as a friend.

My eyes moved to the clock, 3:30. It suddenly occurred to me, that on order to be a good houseguest, I should probably bring a covered dish or some sort of dessert to the Evans' house. I quickly grabbed my car keys and rushed out to the car. I had some shopping to do!

* * *

The local grocery store wasn't too far away from my neighborhood. It was on the edge of town, and it just so happened to be the edge closest to my neighborhood. It was probably a 5-7 minute drive.

I wouldn't even consider it a "grocery store," but rather a small market. Kind of like Lillian's was, a place that would have regulars and everyone knew everyone. I instantly fell in love with the small town feel this part of Lima had. The down side was _everyone knew everyone._ They all knew each other's secrets, which also meant that everyone had a secret to hide.

When I walked into the market I started for the dessert section, figuring that it would be much easier to find a pre-made dessert rather than a pre-made dish. Luckily, they had a few pies on display and I could make a quick purchase. There was an apple pie, a blueberry pie, and a key lime pie. After a second of debate, I chose the key lime pie. Apple and blueberry pies were too common in the summer months.

I picked up the freshest pie and made my way towards the register areas. When I was almost there, I accidentally ran into someone, and I nearly toppled over. I quickly regained my balance and saved the pie from its death on the dirty concrete floor.

"I am so sorry!" I said to the person, mostly for almost staining their shirt with pie.

"Rachel?" a voice asked, and I recognized the voice as the one I couldn't get out of my head. A voice I had heard earlier that same day.

I looked up and lost myself for a moment in those amber eyes. "Finn, hello."

"What are you doing here?" he asked me.

"What is this another one of your "regular" places? It's a market, and I happen to be picking up a dessert to take to a dinner at the neighbor's tonight," I informed him.

"I was just wondering," he said defensively. "Besides, it's not everyday that I run into the same beautiful girl twice within a few hours."

I was a bit taken away, "You think I'm beautiful?"

"Why wouldn't I?" he asked me, sounding like he thought I was called that often, which was not the truth.

"It's hard to feel beautiful, when you've spent your whole life feeling like you're nothing," I told him, not exactly knowing why I was telling him all this.

"Why have you spent your whole life feeling like you're nothing?" he asked me.

"I haven't met the right person yet to show me otherwise," I replied honestly. My dads never really showed that much appreciation, and I wasn't the most popular girl in high school.

"You said that you're going out to your neighbors tonight, right?" Finn asked me, reaching into his back pocket.

"Yeah, why?" I asked him in return, hoping that this was going where I thought it was going.

He handed me his phone, "What do you think about going out with me tomorrow night? I know we just met today, and I don't know what it is about you… but you're really cool Rachel. And I want to get to know you better."

"That sounds nice," I told him, noticing that he was feeling the same way about me that I was about him. I typed my number into his phone and handed it back to him.

"Good. I'll text you with more details tomorrow," he assured me. "Have fun at your dinner tonight."

"Thanks," I replied. "I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Rachel," he said, carrying on down the aisle of the store.

I proceeded to the register area with a smile on my face, the thought of my fiancé never crossing my mind.

* * *

I rang the Evans' doorbell and waited for one of them to answer the door. From across the street, I could hear the faint sound of a baby crying from an open window. I thought back to the information Mercedes had given me earlier that day. _They had two kids during high school, and now they have three with another on the way. And the real kicker in the situation, they still aren't married and neither of them has a decent job. I have no idea how they can even afford the place._ Before I could think anymore, the door swung open, revealing Mercedes.

"Hey girl!" she said animatedly. "Come on in!" She moved aside to let me step into the house, and the smell of fresh cooked food entered my nostrils. My stomach grumbled and I couldn't wait to dig in.

"Oh my gosh! You brought us a pie! You shouldn't have!" Mercedes gushed, taking the pie from me and leading me towards the kitchen/ dining room area of the house. "Hey, babe!" She called through the house, probably calling for her husband, Sam.

I heard some footsteps echoing throughout the house and a tall muscular blonde man entered the room. He wrapped his left arm around Mercedes' shoulders and extended his right arm towards me. "You must be Rachel. I'm Sam."

I shook his hand, "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sam. Thank you both for inviting me for dinner this evening."

Mercedes smiled up at Sam, "Isn't she just the cutest thing you've ever seen?" She looked back at me, "It's no problem, Rachel. You're a friend and we are happy to have you over!"

"Well, I greatly appreciate you guys welcoming me to your neighborhood. I'm feeling like part of the family already," I told them happily, grateful for being treated so nicely.

"We're glad, Rachel." Mercedes said, pulling from Sam's embrace. "I'm sure you're hungry. Let's start eating!"

We entered the dining room, and the table was already set with the food ready to be served. We all took a seat around the circular table in the center of the room. They had a tossed salad, vegetables with dip, a pasta dish, and my key lime pie placed in the center of the table.

"This meal looks lovely," I complimented.

"I'm glad," Mercedes responded. "You can thank Sam for the food, he was kind enough to cook our dinner for us."

I tasted a piece of the pasta and chewed it completely. "This tastes fantastic, Sam. You are a good cook."

"Thank you, Rachel. I'm glad to know someone appreciates my cooking," he glanced over a Mercedes.

"What? Oh, come on, babe. I love your cooking. You know that, right," Mercedes said. "I compliment your cooking every time you make us dinner."

"I know, 'cedes, I'm just messing with you," he replied, leaning over to kiss his wife.

I smiled at the couple, hoping more than anything that I could have a relationship like theirs someday.

"So, Rachel, you just moved here this morning. What caused the move over here?" Mercedes asked me, taking another bite of her pasta.

I hesitated, trying to think of something to say. "I just moved out of my dads' place and wanted to start fresh, so I moved over to the other side of town."

"That's nice. This is certainly a good place for a fresh start. In a small town, you'll make some friends in no time. Trust me," Mercedes assured me.

"I know. I was out today and I already met someone," I told them, thinking of Finn. "We actually ran into each other twice this afternoon, and he asked me out."

Mercedes' eyes lit up. "Really! That's so amazing! Who was it?"

"Finn. Finn Hudson," I told them, with a smile on my face. My smile vanished, however, when I saw the couple exchange a concerned look. "What? What's wrong with Finn?"

"Nothing's wrong with him," Mercedes said unconvincingly.

"His family is just really over protective of him. A little too over protective," Sam said to me.

"He's a big boy now, though, it's about time they loosen the leash," Mercedes commented. "They've had him locked away in their house for long enough."

"Locked away?" I asked them.

"An exaggeration," Sam told me, "but Mercedes is right. They need to give him some breathing room every once in a while."

"So, there isn't a problem with me dating him?" I asked them, worried that I had just dug myself into an even bigger hole.

"No, he's 19. They can't control him, at least not anymore," Mercedes assured me. "You'll be fine. He's a really good guy, and you'll make a really cute couple."

I nodded, letting their words sink in. Maybe everyone in this town _did _have something to hide.

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**How do you guys like it so far? Good or bad? Leave a review, and tell the truth!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I got off work an hour and a half early today so I now have time to update this story! Yay! :)**

**Again, I want to thank everyone who left a review, they make me smile and I'm super glad to know people are enjoying this story. **

**I don't own glee *pouts**

**Here's chapter four!**

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I tossed and turned all night long. Everything Mercedes and Sam told me kept running through my head. All the information about the neighbors Mercedes gave me and their input on Finn plagued my mind. Everyone knew everything about each other on this side of town, but at the same time everyone had a deep dark secret. And the part I was slowly realizing, I was just like them.

I was a terrible person. There I was, agreeing to go out on a date with Finn while I am engaged. In my defense, I'd hardly call my engagement "real," but I was still engaged. But what did they really expect from me? It's an arranged marriage! It's not like I'll instantly love the guy! They haven't given me the chance to find my one true love. What if I find him while I'm married? And what if he does the same! Are we expected to remain faithful during this time? Is it even moral to put true love in the hands of a contract?

Someday I want to have kids, and then grandkids. I want to have everyone come over on holidays so we can all celebrate like a loving family. I want my children to be created from love, not law! Don't my dads want to be grandparents? Don't they want to walk me down the aisle and give me away to a man they _know_ will treat me with love and respect? Do they even care?

I shoved my face deeper into my pillow, partly hoping it would cut off the flow of oxygen. They probably wouldn't care if I died anyway. Well, actually they would. They'd be heart-broken. Without this stupid marriage and me they can't have their precious dream jobs.

Whatever happened to pride from hard work? Doesn't anyone want to try anymore? I am a strong believer in the fact that one enjoys something much more if they've earned it as opposed to them just getting it. For example, I was simply given this house, and I have zero appreciation for the place. If an appliance breaks, I won't be too upset over it. It will soon be replaced for free and I will go on with my life.

My thought shifted back to my "relationship" with my fiancé as I rolled over on my back. What if he too was having a secret relationship on the side? How would I feel if I knew I was coming in second to another woman? A woman that he actually wanted to be with but was stuck with me. It wouldn't make me feel good at all about myself. I'd understand why he was doing it, but still, marriage should be better than that. Why do arranged marriages even exist?

What if Finn and I turn out to be something? What if the relationship between us blossoms into something more? I'm positive he'd have a problem with me marrying another man. Should I tell him? He'd hate me.

I groaned and rolled again, this time trying to get comfortable on my side. I wrapped the blankets tighter around my body and forced my eyes shut. I tried desperately to empty my mind of any stray thoughts. Eventually my mind and body went numb and I finally drifted off into a peaceful slumber, the last image popping into my head was Finn Hudson.

* * *

I slid my black hoop earrings into each ear and admired my reflection in the mirror. I had on a black knee length dress and shiny black heels for my date with Finn. He finally texted me around noon that day and told me to dress nicely for the event. He refused to tell me what he had planned, but promised that I would have a good time.

My eyes glanced at the clock, and I smiled when I discovered that Finn would be arriving any minute to pick me up. I walked out into the living room and turned on the television set to keep my mind occupied.

I had a hard time imagining what he had planned for us. It was an awkward age for us. We were both out of high school, but too young to drink alcohol, which ruled out any bars or clubs. A simple dinner and a movie seemed to "high school" in a way, at least for a first date. Just a dinner would be fine. I would prefer it actually. It would be nice to take the time to get to know Finn more, and figure out where our relationship would go.

A knocking sound echoed throughout the house and I jumped up from the couch. I quickly turned off the television and smoothed out my dress before answering the door. When I was satisfied with my appearance, I opened the door and smiled at the man standing on the front porch.

"Hello, Finn," I greeted cheerfully. "Would you like to step inside while I grab my purse?"

He nodded, and stepped into the house. "Wow, Rachel, you look amazing." His eyes took in my appearance before they came up to meet mine.

I couldn't stop a blush from taking over my face, "Thank, Finn. You look great as well." He smiled at the suit he was wearing as I grabbed my purse and hung it over my shoulder. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," he said rather quickly and stepped back outside. I locked the door behind me and followed him out to his car parked in the driveway. Finn pulled open the car door for me and allowed me to step inside.

"How chivalrous," I commented on his gesture, earning an adorable half-smile from him. He shut the passenger door and walked around to the driver's side to get inside. "So, are you going to tell me where we are headed?"

"Nope," he said, putting a popping sound on the _p_. "The fun is in the surprise."

"Fine," I crossed my arms. "This better be good, I'm not the biggest fan of surprises unless they are pleasing."

"Trust me, Rachel, this is a good surprise," Finn said, backing out of the driveway and driving down the street.

I watched as we drove past the houses along the street. First Mercedes and Sam's house came into view. All the lights were shut off; they must be out on a date themselves. I glanced across the street at Quinn and Puck's. I saw a woman in the window holding a baby, and I figured that was Quinn. Her blonde hair was pulled up into a ponytail and she seemed exhausted. I wondered where Puck was. Next we drove past Santana's house, and just as Mercedes said, I saw a man knocking on her front door. A girl, presumably Santana, opened the door and hesitantly invited him into the house. Her eyes watched Finn's car drive by before she shut the door and disappeared into her house.

"I didn't know you lived near Santana Lopez," Finn said suddenly, looking back at Santana's house.

"Yeah, I haven't gotten the chance to meet her yet though," I replied. "How do you know her?"

He turned back towards the front of the car and stopped at the end of the road, turning on the left turn signal. "I dated her for a while in high school." When the coast was clear he turned onto the main road and headed towards town. "Turns out she was just using me the entire time we were dating."

"That's terrible," I told him. "Why would she do such a thing?"

He shrugged in his seat. "She didn't really say. She just broke up with me one day out of the blue, and said she met someone else. Weeks went by, but I never saw her with anyone else. Eventually I asked her the real reason why she ended things with me, and she continued to say she met someone else. She told me that she wasn't allowed to be with that person, so she needed to date me so it wouldn't seem like they were together. I still never saw her with anyone else. I can't even think of anyone she hung out with enough to the point that it would be suspicious."

"That's very strange," I responded, wondering if maybe the mysterious man who was always visiting her was the one she kept a secret. "You said that she told you she wasn't allowed to be with that person, maybe she wasn't allowed to see them either and that's why you never saw her with anyone else."

He shrugged again. "I have no idea, but it was years ago and I'm over it. Santana Lopez means nothing to me now. Not that she ever really did, anyways. We didn't date very long because my mom couldn't stand her. My mom never really liked any of the girls I dated."

"Why is that?" I asked him, hoping to get more on the story Sam and Mercedes told her about the night before.

"I don't know. I think she's afraid of me growing up or something, and refuses to accept the fact that I'm moving on."

"Funny," I replied. "I've always been the exact opposite. My dads were thrilled to have me out of the house." _So thrilled they arranged for me to be with someone else._ "Like I said yesterday, there never really was much appreciation in our relationship."

"What happened between you and your family?" Finn asked me.

"Nothing really 'happened,' they just always chose their careers over me," I told him. "I got used to it though. After a while I became comfortable with them always being gone."

"I'm sorry, Rachel. No one deserves to have a childhood like that," Finn said, turning off the main road. There were tons of trees lining both sides of the road, and because I didn't know the area I had no idea where we were.

"I really hope your idea of a great date isn't murdering me in the woods or anything," I told him, looking around at my surroundings.

Finn chuckled, "Relax, Rachel. We are almost there. We're just going in the back way because the front entrance is usually fairly crowded."

I nodded in my seat and instantly relaxed, finally noticing a building in the distance. As we got closer I noticed a parking lot across the street from the building, and just as Finn had predicted, many cars were entering the parking lot from the other side of the building. Finn parked the car in the lot and shut off the engine before he got out and opened my door for me. I stepped out of the car and once again smoothed out my slightly wrinkled dress. I noticed a small gold course running through the woods, and smiled at the fact that Finn had chosen a country club to have our first date.

"I used to come here all the time with my grandpa when I was little. When we came the restaurant wasn't built yet, and it was just a gold course. When the course became more popular, they built the restaurant and it started becoming a more formal place. Nowadays people just come here for the food rather than the golf," Finn explained.

"Well, I think it's lovely, Finn. Thank you for bringing me here," I told him. I wrapped my arm around his and walked towards the building by his side. He held the door open for me and allowed me to walk in first towards the hostess stand.

"Hello," the hostess greeted with a large smile. "Just the two of you?" Finn and I both nodded. "Okay," the girl replied. "You two can follow me to your table." She escorted us to a booth in the back of the restaurant and handed us our menus and silverware. "Have a nice meal."

"Thank you," I said to the girl before she walked away. I slid into the booth across from Finn and opened my menu to look at the beverage choices. A few minutes later a girl named Jessica came by to take our drink and food orders. I ordered a glass of water and a pasta dish while Finn ordered himself a coke and a burger. Jessica took our menus from us and left to place our orders in the kitchen.

Finn and I spent the entire evening chatting away, getting to know each other better. We talked about silly things from our favorite color to what we liked to watch on TV when we were little and we also talked about serious things from our families to our past relationships. The more I learned about Finn, the more I wanted to know. I found myself sharing things with him that I would have never dreamed of sharing with another person. As soon as we finished our meal Finn suggested we take a walk around the course before we left and I happily agreed, allowing him to lead me outside to the first hole.

We slowly walked along the cart path of the first hole and the summer night breeze felt wonderful on my skin. It wasn't long before I felt his hand reach down to mine and his fingers lace with mine. I smiled up at him, and wondered how I was lucky enough to meet someone as amazing as Finn Hudson.

"It's so beautiful out tonight," I commented, looking up at the stars. "Have you ever seen anything more gorgeous?"

"No," he said back, and when I realized he was looking at me instead of the stars I blushed and looked down at the ground to hide my reddening cheeks. I felt the same butterflies in my stomach as I did the day before when he called me "beautiful."

"So," I began, changing the subject before I embarrassed myself further. "You mentioned that you golfed when you were younger. Do you still play?"

"I come out here every once in a while," he replied. "It's a good game."

"I've never tried it before," I told him. "You should teach me how to play sometime."

"Yeah, that would be fun," he agreed. "But you should know that it requires patience, and can be very frustrating sometimes. It can be very easy to just give up.

"Rachel Berry is _not_ a quitter. Teach me how, and I'll show this game who's boss," I said confidently, earning a chuckle from Finn.

"Sounds like a plan," he responded as we walked on to the cart path of hole two.

We walked along the cart path for the entire nine holes, and when we finished our stroll Finn drove me back home. We held hands throughout the entire duration of the car ride, and I couldn't have been happier. We returned back to my place shortly, and Finn walked me to the front door. I pushed my key into the lock and turned to face Finn before I walked inside.

"Thank you for taking me out tonight, Finn. I had a wonderful time," I told him, running my thumb along his knuckles.

"Me too," he replied. "I really like you, Rachel, and I'd like to see you again sometime."

"I feel the same way," I told him. We both leaned forward and our lips met the softest kiss ever. I reveled in the way his lips felt on mine as my eyes fell closed, and felt that the kiss ended way too soon, but I didn't complain. He said that he wanted to see me again, and I knew there was much more of Finn coming my way. I watched as he walked back to his car and I waved goodbye as he drove away. I walked back into my house and squealed happily. I couldn't care less about my fiancé. For the moment I was happy, and I intended to hold on to that happiness for as long as I possibly could.

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**Aww, young love :) **

**Review and tell me what you think of the story so far! I love to know your thoughts!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Another update! :) Just letting you guys know, I probably won't be updating again until Saturday:( because I work Wednesday - Friday, and I still have to keep up with my schoolwork. But I promise, I'll be updating as soon as I possibly can :)**

**Disclaimer, I don't own glee.**

**Chapter Five!**

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I felt like a huge puffy marshmallow. A hideous huge puffy marshmallow to be exact. The fabric was scratchy, the sleeves were pretty much a whole new dress, and I could barely see because the veil was blocking my vision. I sent Marie a glare.

"Oh, Rachel, you look gorgeous!" Marie squealed. "I think that this might be the one!"

I pulled the veil from my hair and threw it at her. "No, I refuse to get married in this monstrosity! We need to keep looking." I huffed as I stormed back into the dressing room to change back into the clothes I wore to the bridal salon.

"Rachel, who do you have to be so stubborn? All the dresses you've tried on you've looked lovely in!" Marie shouted through the closed dressing room door.

"No, Marie, they've all been terrible. I only tried them on because you forced me to. Like it or not, this is still very much _my _wedding! You can choose the invitations, the colors, the music, the venue, because I already know you will, but you will _not _be choosing my dress. Got it?" I almost ripped the dress as I pushed it angrily from body and let it lay in a pile on the ground. I waited to hear a response, but when nothing from silence came from the other side of the door I smiled triumphantly and continued to change. I slipped into my sundress and shoes before I exited the dressing room to see Marie fiddling with her cell phone. I couldn't help but feel a little bad about my harsh words from earlier. "Marie, I'm sorry I snapped. I'm feeling a little overwhelmed because this whole wedding thing was thrust upon me, and I'm just looking for a little control in my life. I really appreciate your help in this, and I hope it's not too much to ask for a little breathing room."

Marie finally placed her cell phone down and looked up at me. "I'm sorry too. I know I can come off strong, and overbearing, but I just want to see everyone's wedding be the best that it can possibly be. I'll back off, I promise."

"Thanks," I told her, an awkward silence filling the room. I broke our eye contact and starting scanned the dress hung along the wall, and felt the fabric of each dress. None of the dresses seemed right. They were too big or too small, nothing was right at all.

After another twenty minutes of looking I sighed dramatically. I threw my hands in the air and turned towards Marie, intending to tell her that I was giving up for the day. However, as I looked at Marie, something caught my eye from behind her. I started walking towards the white dress displayed on the wall, wondering how I could have possibly missed it before. It was tight around the torso, glitter decorating the top, and puffed out like the bottom of Cinderella's dress. A few stray sparkles decorated the silky bottom and I allowed my hand to run down the fabric, picking up a few sparkles along the way.

"It's perfect," I murmured, not to anyone in particular.

"Is it in your size?" Marie asked, pulling my out of my daze. I quickly checked the tag and squealed as I read the same size as I was.

"I have to try it on!" I carefully took the dress off of the wall and brought it into the dressing room. Once the door was closed I practically ripped off my dress, excited to try on the wedding dress. I stepped into the cool and smooth fabric and loved the way it felt on my skin. The top of the dress perfectly hugged my body, and I zipped it up with ease. I smoothed out the dress and slowly exited the dressing room, anticipating Marie's reaction.

Marie turned when she heard the door opening and let a gasp escape her lips. "Rachel," she breathed, "It's perfect."

"Do you really think so?" I asked her, looking for a mirror.

"Yes, you look beautiful, absolutely stunning," Marie said, leading my over to the large mirror on the wall.

I too gasped when I saw my reflection in the mirror. The brilliant shade of white complimented my tanned skin perfectly, and my brown curls fell on my shoulders, making the dress look complete. I reached for the tag again, this time intending to look for the price tag. I closed my eyes as I brought the tag towards my face and I hoped it wouldn't be outrageous.

"I'm too afraid to look," I said to Marie, still squeezing my eyes shut. I slowly opened my eyes and let my vision refocus on the numbers. As soon as my vision completely refocused from squeezing my eyes shut I was able to read the numbers. "This cannot be happening! Why can't my dream dress be affordable?" I threw my head in my hands and tried to clam myself down.

"How much is it?" Marie asked curiously, reaching for the tag. She read the number for herself, and I watched as her eyes widened. "Nine thousand dollars? What? Did the queen wear this?"

"This is terrible!" I cried. "Why can't I ever have what I want? I can't wear the dress I want, I can't have the life I want, I can't even marry the guy I like!"

"The guy you like?" Marie asked, catching my last exclamation. "Rachel, is there something going on?"

My eyes widened, "No, nothing's going on. I just meant for further down the road. I'm bound to meet someone right for me eventually, right?" _Even though I think I might have already found him._

"I'm sorry, Rachel. I know it's hard, and I know how aggravating arranged marriage. Yours isn't the first one I've planned, believe it or not," Marie confessed. Motioning for me to sit on a nearby bench next to her.

"Really?" I asked, taking a seat and being careful not to wrinkle the dress. "What happened?"

"Well, this is actually the third arranged marriage I've coordinated. The first one was exactly like you'd expect an arranged marriage to be. They were forced together, while their hearts already belonged to others. They cried and pleaded, but they were forced to be together. Of course they tried to be with the others, but can you really expect someone to be with you once your married?"

I gulped, feeling guiltier and guiltier by the minute.

"They're still together. They're miserable, but they're together. They adopted a child, they have amazing careers, but they'll still never be happy," Marie said. "Unfortunately, that's usually how an arranged marriage goes."

I looked down at the ground, wishing I had a different fate. "What about the other marriage? You said that you've planned two."

"Oh, yes, that case. Let me tell you, that case was one in a million," Marie started. "Neither of them were happy about the marriage at first, but when they met a few months before the wedding, it was like love at first sight. They instantly clicked, and today they are happily married."

I smiled, thinking about how happy that girl must be. "That's what I dream about," I told Marie. "Living happily ever after with someone I love. I dream of waking up every morning next to someone I'm proud to be spending the rest of my life with." A tear rolled down my cheek, "But that's just not how it's going to be."

Marie placed a comforting had on my shoulder, but didn't say anything. I wouldn't have said anything either. What cold you say at a moment like this? Suck it up? Get over it? There's no alternative, and arranged marriages are like the gate way to misery.

I wiped a stray tear away, standing up and walking over to the dressing room. "I'm going to change. I guess we can make another appointment and continue looking another time." I slipped into the dressing room and locked the door behind me. As soon as I was isolated in the small room I sunk down on the floor and wrapped my arms around myself. All I felt was hatred towards my fathers and everyone else that was forcing me through this. I wanted to escape, but I knew I couldn't. I was trapped. Forever.

I quickly recomposed myself and wiped away my tears. I had to stay strong. I unzipped the perfect dress and stepped out of the material, instantly missing the way the fabric felt against my skin. I pulled my sundress back on and neatly hung the dress on its hanger. I gave the silky material one final stroke before I exited the dressing room and asked Marie if we could leave.

Marie agreed to leave, knowing not to mess with me when I was feeling so weak. We left the building and walked out to her car, quickly getting in and leaving the lot. Marie turned the radio on to avoid another awkward silence between us. The music came out softly and I calmed me down a little bit. I flashed Marie a small smile, and hummed along to the tune that was coming out of the car speakers.

Soon enough we pulled on to my street and drove up the long road. Every house was just like it usually was: dull and neglected except for the Evans' house. I noticed my house we beginning to have the same dull and gloomy feel as the others. Once Marie pulled into my driveway I thanked her for the ride and exited the car. I walked up to the house and locked the door, pushing it open to let myself in. As I walked inside, the dark and cold feeling of the house washed over me. I made a mental note to myself that I really needed to paint the walls something other than beige. The house needed fun and colors. It needed life, and freedom. This was my home, right?

Before I could continue making plans for the new house designs, my phone beeped. I rushed over to it, opening it to read the new text message.

**_ Hey, Rachel. What are you doing tonight? –Finn_**

I stared at the phone screen with a smile on my face. Finn was exactly what I needed at the moment, someone to bring me out of my melancholy mood.

****_**Hanging out with you? –Rachel**_

I sent the text and paced around happily as I waited for his response. I jumped excitedly as my phone beeped again and I read the message.

**_You should come over. I was thinking about having a movie night, and figured it would be much better with you. –Finn _**

A movie night with Finn? I was certainly okay with that.

**_ I'll be there soon. –Rachel_**

I waited for him to text me his address before I ran to slip into more comfortable clothing to wear to Finn's house. I put on a pair of leggings and a T-shirt, figuring Finn wouldn't mind spending the evening relaxing. As soon as I was all changed and ready to go, I practically ran outside and jumped into my car, quickly speeding off towards Finn's place.

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**I'm sorry about the length of this chapter. I know that it's on the shorter side, but I needed to fill in some time before her next date night with Finn. I promise there will be a lot of Finchel in the next chapter, and I think you guys are really going to like it :) **

**Keep up the AMAZING reviews! I love them all! **

**Oh, and a little something else for you guys to look forward to, Rachel will be meeting the super mysterious Santana soon :) That should be interesting!**


	6. Chapter 6

**So the weather report called for a lot of snow where I live today, and I was really hoping for a snow day so I could have the day off from school and just write all day, but that didn't happen :( So unfortunately I had to wait until I got home. But, I managed to write this chapter before I left for work, and I hope you guys like it!**

**I don't own glee.**

**Chapter SIX!**

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I wasn't sure how we ended up like this. It was supposed to be an innocent movie night, after all. The movie, however, was completely forgotten in the back ground as Finn's muscular body had me pinned down on the couch as his lips smacked against mine. I tugged at his hair as I returned each of his kissed, soon I felt him making his way down to my neck.

Ordinarily, I would be very opposed to moving this quickly. A heated make out session in the evening wasn't exactly on my usual second date schedule. I was perfectly fine with a first date goodnight kiss, and a few kisses on the second date, but usually the second date was pretty PG for me. I wasn't sure what it was, but Finn made me feel… adventurous. I let myself let loose, and have fun. I didn't have a care in the world, and I was perfectly okay with that.

I felt Finn bite the skin on my neck, and I was positive that it would leave a mark for tomorrow. I pulled him back up so I could taste his lips again. I could taste buttered popcorn on his lips, and the popcorn smell around us only made it stronger. I felt his tongue at my lips, and I eagerly granted him access. I couldn't get enough of his mouth, and it seemed as if he felt the same way.

I felt his hands slowly moving lower and lower, and I chose to ignore the action at first, too caught up in what I was doing. Soon I felt his hands running too low for my personal comfort and I put my hands on his chest to push him away a little bit.

He pulled away and gave me a concerned look, "Is everything okay?" His hands came back up and his fingers interlaced with mine, and I couldn't help but smile at the action.

I gulped nervously and tried to catch my breath, "No, everything's fine," I said quickly, becoming more nervous by being in such a close proximity. "We're just moving really fast."

Finn nodded in understanding, but made no move to get up. "I don't want to push you into anything you're not ready for, so we can take things as slow as you want."

"Thank you," I squeezed his hand in mine. "What do you say we just curl up and watch what's left of the movie?" I motioned towards the movie that was nearly half way through.

He chuckled, and slid on the couch behind me to watch the movie. His arm slid around my waist and found mine hand once more. "That sounds great."

I snuggled deeper into his embrace and tried my best to pay attention to the movie. We decided to watch the movie _Just Go With It_ starring Adam Sandler and Jennifer Aniston because it was playing on the television already. We started watching the movie again as "Dolph Lundgren" was explaining his sheep shipping business to the others. As the movie progressed, I traced his knuckles with my fingertips and every now and then I would feel him nuzzle his face into my neck. I had never felt so warm or _loved _before, and I knew that I never wanted this feeling to go away. Finn and I hadn't labeled anything yet, and I still wasn't sure where anything was going between us, but I knew what we had was good. It was something I needed and something I wanted, and I never wanted it to end.

* * *

After the movie finished, we decided to order a pizza. It didn't take long for the pizza to arrive to Finn's place, and it wasn't much longer until we gave into our hunger and devoured the defenseless pizza. As soon as we finished our food, Finn and I decided to play a game of 20 questions so we could get to know each other better. I wasn't so sure about the game at first, but once we started playing, I knew it was a great decision. By playing the game, Finn and I found out all sorts of random facts about each other. The more I found out, the more I wanted to know, and it seemed like Finn was feeling the same way.

"If you could be any animal in the world, what would you be and why?" Finn asked me, running the arm that was wrapped around my shoulders up and down my own arm.

"Hmmm," I began, thinking deeply about all the animal options. "I think I would be a giraffe because I've always wondered what it was like to be tall."

Finn laughed at my response, "Good answer, but just so you know, being tall is overrated."

"What do you mean it's overrated?" I asked him. "You can reach the top shelf, you can find anyone in a crowd, and tall people can give really good hugs."

He arched an eyebrow, "Tall people can give really good hugs?"

I nodded, believing strongly in my theory. "Yes. I can't remember the last time I hugged a tall person and the hug wasn't anything short of excellence."

"So, what about hugs from shorter people? Are you categorized with the bad huggers?" Finn asked me, and I was amused at the fact that this conversation was still going.

"I am not a bad hugger! I'll have you know that I've received many compliments on my hugging abilities," I retorted, crossing my arms across my chest.

"Really? And how often does that come up into conversation?"

"Quite often, actually," I replied. "Should I be taking your arguments as you saying that I'm a bad hugger? Because if so I will be extremely offended."

"I don't know," Finn responded. "We haven't hugged in a while. I think I might need to experience one in action before I make my final decision."

"Fine, I suppose I could show off my hugging expertise," I uncrossed my arms and extended my arms around his neck, pulling him into an embrace. As his arms wrapped around me, I knew my theory was correct. Tall people were _awesome_ at hugging. "So, Mr. Hudson, how's the hug coming along?" I asked while we were still in the middle of our hug.

"Well, Miss Berry, I have to give you some credit. This is a pretty good hug," Finn said, breaking our embrace. "Maybe one of the best I've ever had. I apologize for questioning your hugging abilities, I'll remember not to question the master next time."

"That's all I ask," I said to him, leaning back against the couch. "Okay, I think it's my turn to ask you a question now."

"Ask away," Finn said, holding his arm out to wrap around my shoulders so we could cuddle up again.

I thought back to the dinner I had with Sam and Mercedes, and what they had said about Finn and his family. I looked back at Finn and figured this was the perfect opportunity to know more. "Tell me a little about your family. I'd love to know more about the people who raised you."

Finn started to shift uncomfortably in his seat, and I was worried that I shouldn't have asked him that question.

"I'm sorry if that was too personal," I told him, "I can ask a different question."

"No, it's okay. I just don't talk about them a lot, but I want you to know," he explained. "When I was a baby my dad died while fighting overseas **(A/N: I'm omitting the drug abuse part)**. I spent most of my early life with just my mom. We did okay, but it was hard on her sometimes. When I was 10 **(A/N: Changing some of the times too) **my mom married a man named Burt. Burt's a good guy, and I like him, and he has a son too, which is pretty cool. His son's name is Kurt, and Kurt's only a few years older than me so we were pretty close growing up. After Kurt graduated high school, he had this dream of moving out to New York and designing clothes. Burt and I were on board 100%, but my mom was a little shaky about it. When my dad died, my mom became very worried about people leaving her unexpectedly, and Kurt's sudden move to New York only made it worse. Eventually Kurt left, and my mom still has Burt and I, but she's scared that we are just going to leave her someday. I'd never leave her because she's my mom and she's done so much for me, but I just wish I had a little freedom every now and then."

I placed a comforting hand on his arm, "I'm sorry, Finn."

He shrugged, "It's okay. I mean, at least I know that my mom cares about me and all, but it gets a little suffocating sometimes."

"I wish I knew what you were talking about. My family is the exact opposite of yours. My dad's couldn't care less about me," I told him.

"I'm sorry," Finn said softly.

I rested my head on his shoulders and we sat in silence for a while, simply enjoying each other's company. Eventually we slipped back into our game of twenty questions and spent the rest of the evening talking and laughing. I leaned that he hates sushi, had an obsession with cowboys when he was younger, and loves to play the drums. I told Finn that my favorite color is pink, when I was little the show _Scooby Doo, Where Are You?_ gave me nightmares, and if I could trade places with anyone for a day it would be Barbara Streisand.

I happened to glance over at the clock at one point in our game and realized that it was approaching midnight. I untangled myself from Finn's arm and stood up from the couch. "I should probably get going."

Finn nodded in understanding, "I didn't even realize it was getting so late."

I headed over towards the front door to put my shoes on. "Thanks for inviting me over tonight. I had a great time, even though there wasn't much movie watching going on." We shared a laugh. "We'll have to do this again sometime, maybe at my place. I have a wonderful DVD collection," I said, thinking that the more masculine movies I had in my DVD collection would finally be coming in handy.

"That sounds great," he said, and he leaned towards me to give me a kiss goodnight. I kissed him back, feeling the same sparks I did every time we kissed. I wrapped my hand around his neck and pulled myself closer to him, deepening the kiss. Before we could get too carried away like we did earlier, I broke the kiss and took a step away from him.

"Goodnight, Finn," I said before slipping out the door and heading out to my car parked on the side of the street. I waved goodbye before climbing into my car and driving back home, feeling extremely happy. A smile was plastered on my face as I drove home, and I plugged my iPod into the car stereo and played every love song I had. I sang along at full volume without a care in the world. The songs changed from _Give Your Heart a Break _to _Marry You, _from _Lucky _to _Love Song_, and from _You Belong With Me_ to _Nothin' On You._

Eventually, I pulled back into my driveway and skipped up to my front porch. Before I walked inside I noticed that I had mail in my mailbox. I pulled out the envelopes and glanced through them to see if anything important came up. Nothing caught my eye except for the last letter in the pile that was addressed to Santana Lopez instead of me. I figured it was a mistake made by the mailman, and started to walk back down the driveway to slip the letter into Santana's mailbox.

I walked the short distance down the street and quickened my pace when Santana's house came into view. I had never really been so close to her house before, and I never realized how nice the house was. It was small and had a spacious front porch holding a porch swing. The house was a nice auburn color than gave it an autumn feel. I noticed a large window right beside the mailbox on he front porch, showing that a light was on inside. I hopped up the stairs to the elevated front porch and headed over to the mailbox, intending to make the visit short and sweet, however I stopped when I reached the large window beside the mailbox. I was given a nice view of the living room, but it wasn't the living room itself that captured by attention, but rather the people occupying the living room.

I saw a Latino girl (presumed to be Santana) lying on the couch with another unknown blonde girl as they shared a passionate kiss. I intended to turn around as quick as possible, not wanting to spy on the extremely private moment, but as I started to make my way down the stairs, I heard a voice yelling behind me.

_"Hey! Midget!"_

I turned around quickly to see the "Santana" girl storming out of the house. She looked outraged, and she seemed like the type of girl you did _not_ want to mess with. Santana stormed down the stairs and came right at me, and I held my breath, afraid of whatever was about to happen next.

_To be continued :)_

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**I'll update as soon as I can!**


	7. Chapter 7

**I had a question about the date of the wedding; I'm getting to it, no worries. I'm not letting too many details out about the wedding because it is from Rachel's point of view, and she isn't really allowed to know many details about the wedding. An upcoming chapter will be very wedding based, so you'll know soon :)**

**Also, for the review about what this story has to do with family, it has little to do with family. When I originally planned it out, I was actually going to do a lot with family, but I changed my mind as I went. As of right now I'm not sure what to change it to, and I probably won't have a good idea until near the end of the story. But as soon as I am confident on what that proper genre will be, I will be sure to change it.**

**Anyway, I don't own glee!**

**CHAPTER SEVEN:**

* * *

As Santana approached me, I flinched back, expecting her to punch me. However, once she was a few feet away from me, she stopped and had an unreadable expression.

She pointed back to the house behind her, "What you just saw does _not_ get told to anyone else, got it?" She had a fiery look in her eyes, and I knew not to go against her wishes. I wasn't exactly sure what was so wrong about what was going on inside the house, but I agreed to her terms anyway. She spoke again, as if to make her point more clear, "No one is allowed to know, Rachel. No one."

"I won't tell anyone," I assured her nervously. "I'm really sorry for all this. I was just stopping by to give you the mail that got sent to me by mistake." I held out the letter and Santana snatched it from my grasp.

The blonde girl walked out of the house, and walked over to where we were standing. "Santana," she said softly, placing her hand on Santana's arm. The blonde girl looked at me, and I was glad to have someone around that didn't look like they wanted to kill me. "I'm sorry about Santana, she's used to being mean to people with her mean words. I'm Brittany."

I recognized the name from the day I first met Mercedes. "Hello, Brittany, I am Rachel Berry."

Brittany turned to Santana again, "See, Tana, she seems harmless. I don't think you have anything to worry about." Brittany nudged Santana on the arm, and pointed towards me.

"I'm sorry for being so rude," Santana mumbled in my direction. "The last time someone found us like that, it didn't go so well."

"Which is why we have to keep it a secret," Brittany told me, and Santana shot her a glare for revealing the information.

Santana looked back at me, "I don't suppose you'd like to step inside for a minute?" Brittany stood beside Santana and nodded vigorously, encouraging me to come inside.

"Sure, why not?" I responded, flowing them back up the front porch and inside the house. Santana led us to the family room and quickly shut the blinds of the front window. As soon as the blinds were finished being closed, Santana came to join us at sat in the chair on the opposite side of the small room from Brittany and I.

"I don't even know where to start," Santana said, shrugging her shoulders.

"Tell her about how we met!" Brittany suggested, shifting in her seat as if she was excited to hear the story that she herself was involved in.

"Okay," Santana said, thinking back to the day she first met Brittany S. Pierce. "It was during freshman year of high school, and I was getting ready for cheerleading practice. I was having a pretty bad day because our coach had just placed a girl I couldn't stand in the position of head cheerleader, and that was supposed to be my spot."

"Santana later took over the role as head cheerleader halfway through our sophomore year, though," Brittany interrupted.

"I was putting my gym bag into my locker in the girl's locker room, when I saw her," Santana said, a smile creeping onto her face. "There was just something about her, and I felt drawn to her, and it was like we were the only two people in the room."

I smiled at Santana's words, thinking about how I felt when I was with Finn.

"At this point in time, I wasn't sure where I stood with my sexuality. As far as everyone else knew, I was totally straight, and that's how it had always been," Santana continued on with the story. "I couldn't deny my feelings for Brittany though, and soon enough I knew that I was in love with Brittany."

"So why keep it a secret?" I asked her, thinking that their love story sounded perfect up to this point.

"My family," Santana answered simply. "My grandmother especially. My parents worked a lot, so I stayed at my grandmother's house a lot. We became very close. She is not very fond of same-sex marriage, or anything related to it, and I refuse to lose her. I was, and still am, desperate to keep it a secret."

"Shouldn't she accept you for who you are?" I asked her. "Shouldn't she be proud of the person you grew up to be?"

Santana shook her head, "No. I brought up the idea once, and she threw a fit. She said that if she had a family member like that she would do her best to kick them out of her life forever."

"That's terrible," I responded.

Santana nodded, "Britts and I did everything we could to make it look like we were like everyone else. We even both got boyfriends to make it believable. Brittany dated Artie Abrams, the school cripple, and I dated Finn Hudson, the school quarterback."

"What? You just used them?" I asked her, my defensive girlfriend instincts kicking in.

"We did," Santana said, "and we felt really bad about it, trust me. After a while, I couldn't stand feeling guilty all the time, because Finn was such a good boyfriend, and I couldn't stand to play him along anymore. So, I broke it off with him."

I knew Santana's words were truthful, and I was beginning to understand Finn's story about Santana Lopez more and more.

"I told Brittany about the break up in the locker room one day after everyone else was gone. She decided to end things with Artie too so we could actually be together in secret again. However, turns out some stupid football player was waiting outside the door, planning some idiotic prank. He heard everything we said," Santana said, an angry look returning to her eyes.

"What did he do?" I asked her, leaning closer in anticipation.

"Have you seen a car come around her a lot at random times?" Santana asked me, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Yeah, is that the car of the guy who heard you?" I asked her.

Santana nodded, "He said that he would keep me secret on one condition, that I give him what he wants whenever he wants it."

I gasped, "Santana, that's awful. Can he even do that?"

"Rachel, my family cannot know. They mean to much to me," Santana said, looking down at the floor. "I don't know what else to do. Have you ever been in a situation without an escape option?"

"Actually, yes," I replied, hoping to make her feel better. My words caused Santana to look up from the floor. "My dads recently signed a contract that involved me and an arranged marriage. I'm not allowed to meet the guy until the day of our wedding, and I'm not even allowed to know the date!"

Santana's jaw dropped. "They basically sold you off to some other guy?"

I nodded, "Yes, and it gets even worse."

"How could that get even worse?" Santana asked, looking extremely upset for the both of us.

"Shortly after they agreed to the arrangement, I met the guy who could possibly be the man of my dreams," I told her, trying to leave out the fact that the man was her ex-boyfriend.

"Can't you tell them about the meeting? Can't you get out of it?" Santana asked.

"It's a contract, I'm stuck," I replied.

"Have you told the guy about the marriage?" Brittany asked me.

I shook my head, "I don't know how."

"Rachel!" Santana exclaimed. "You do realize that you were just yelling at me for using Finn the way I did, right?"

"Yes," I said, feeling very ashamed. "I know it's wrong, but I can't help it. I can't spend the rest of my life being miserable when I know that the man of my dreams is out there. I just wish my dads would understand." I slumped back into my seat and looked at the floor. "It's so unfair."

"I'm so sick and tired of people thinking they can control other people," Santana complained, standing up from her chair. She started pacing around the room, slamming her hands on her hips. "Is it so much to ask to just be able to be the real me?" She pointed to me, "And you, why can't you be with the one you're meant to be with?" Santana finally plopped down into her chair again. "Why is it so hard to just stand up for ourselves?"

"Santana, honestly, I think you should be who you are," I said to her. "If your family doesn't accept you for who you are, then are they really your true family?"

Santana shrugged, "But what if I lose them? They mean so much to me."

"Would you rather spend your life with people who aren't willing to accept you for who you are, or would you rather spend it with people that are willing to embrace everything about you? If they really are your family, they'll come around. And if they can't see how great you really are, then it is their loss," I told her, giving her an encouraging smile.

Santana looked between Brittany and I, before her eyes finally landed on me. "Fine. I'll think about it. But you have to stand up for yourself too. If you like this boy as much as you say you do, then you need to be with him. Contracts mean nothing when it comes to true love."

"Okay," I said to Santana. "I'll think about it."

* * *

I didn't think about it that much.

Well, I did…

But what is there to think about?

What can I say to my fathers? They're dreams are coming true, can I really wreck that for them? And what about Finn? I'll have to tell him about the arranged marriage anyways, and he'll hate me regardless. Is it so bad to just enjoy my time with him while I can, before he hates me forever? Before I am forced into a miserable life?

My eyes traveled over to Finn, who was sitting beside me in the car. I gazed at him, taking in every inch of him. He was perfect, in my eyes at least. I hadn't known him for very long, but I was in too deep. It was becoming harder and harder to imagine a life without him, and I found myself not thinking about my fiancé for hours. I even had a dream the other night about my future wedding. I was dressed in the gown I saw at the bridal shop the other day with Marie as I waltzed down the aisle. The music played, and everyone watched me walk down the aisle with my fathers on each arm. My groom stood at the altar, his jaw dropped slightly, as it was finally sinking in that we would be together forever. We would carefully recite our vows, declaring our love in front of our friends and family. The ceremony would come to a close, the last words being, "I love you, Finn Hudson."

I smiled at the memory of the dream, and wished that it could become my reality. I let out a light sigh, pushing all thoughts of the terrible reality out of my mind.

"Are you ready to go?" Finn asked me, as he pulled the car into the parking lot we visited not too long ago. We were finally getting around to that golfing date he promised me, and I was a little nervous to try the game out.

"As ready as I'll ever be," I said, eyeing the course cautiously. I had heard many horror stories of golf related accidents, and I refused to become one of them. What if a golf ball hit my head? What if my back swing injured Finn?

"Okay, let's go!" Finn said excitedly, quickly exiting the car. He took my hand once we were both out of the car and pulled me towards the clubhouse. We walked inside the small building and went up to the front desk, where Finn ordered two rental golf bags and a nine-hole game for two. The woman at the desk instructed us to find the rental equipment outside, and to have a wonderful day. With the new information, we were headed back outside and towards the first hole.

We grabbed our bags and approached the tee box. The men's and ladies' tees were side by side considering that this was only a shot par three course. Finn quickly instructed me on how to grip the club properly, how to swing properly, and how to keep your eye on the ball. He made me do a few practice swings before we started, and once I felt semi-comfortable, we started the game.

Finn approached the tee box first, propping the ball on the tee in the center of the box. He demonstrated a few practice swings first before he moved towards the ball. I watched as he checked his grip and stance before he swung, making sure everything was perfect. Finally, he pulled his arms back and rotated his body through the ball, sending it out into the air. The small white sphere soared through the air and landed only a few yards from the hole on the green. My jaw dropped as Finn walked back to me, a grin on his face.

"Oh my gosh, Finn! That was amazing!" I said proudly, giving him a high-five.

"Relax, Rachel," he chuckled, "It's only a par three."

"Well, still. It's much better than I'm going to do," I said, walking up to the tee box. I pressed the short white tee into the ground and attempted to place the golf ball on top. At first it fell off, but after a few more tries I managed to get the ball to stay. I did exactly as Finn instructed earlier, and kept my head on the ball. I rotated my hips around and swung forcefully at the ball, looking up to see how far it went. I watched the area of the green, but I didn't see anything landing.

"Hey, Rachel," Finn suddenly said, "First rule of golf: never take your eye off the ball."

I looked down to see the ball still sitting on top of the tee. I huffed and started the process all over again. This was going to be a long day.

* * *

We played the game fairly quickly, even with my terrible game slowing us down. We knocked out the first seven holes in an hour and forty minutes, and I was only 20 strokes above Finn. Finn assured me that it wasn't that bad.

I walked on the tee box of the eighth hole, and placed my ball and tee in the ground. I took a few practice swings before I actually hit the ball. Once I was confident with my practice swings, I stepped in front of the ball and prepared myself for the hit. I took a deep breath before rotating around, and I swung through the ball. I watched as the ball flew towards the hole, and my eyes widened as it landed on the fringe just in front of the hole. I squealed and ran towards Finn, wrapping my arms around him.

"Did you see that?" I asked him, pointing towards the ball.

"I did," he chuckled. "That was amazing!"

"This is going to be my best hole yet!" I said confidently, pulling him towards the hole. We walked the distance between the tee box and the green. I stepped in front of mine while Finn stood near me, waiting for me to hit the ball.

I took my putter from my rental bag and stood in front of the ball. I held the club just like Finn showed me how to and I took a few practice swings. Finally, I stepped towards the ball, and swung gently through the ball. It slowly rolled across the short grass, towards the hole. It grew closer and closer to the cup, until finally it reached the edge and rolled into the hole.

I jumped up and down victoriously, proud of myself, as Finn came over and gave me a congratulatory kiss.

"Nice birdie, Rachel," he said, wrapping his hands around my waist.

"Why thank you," I said, batting my eyes jokingly.

Soon, we finished up the game, and I lost big time. Finn ended with a score of 31 and I ended with a score of 59. Finn still told me that I was fantastic, and it brightened my mood drastically. We returned the rental equipment and got back into the car. We spent the duration of the car ride talking about the events of the game and all the fun we had. I even agreed to do it again sometime, even though I am probably one of the worst golfers alive!

Finn pulled up into my driveway and shut off the engine. "Thanks for coming with me today, Rachel. I had a great time."

"I did too," I agreed. "Thanks for teaching me how to play. I never knew golf was such a fun sport."

"It's not bad once you give it a try," Finn said.

I smiled and leaned towards him, planting a huge kiss on his lips. "I'll see you soon, Finn."

"Goodbye, Rachel," he said, turning the engine on again as I exited the car. We waved goodbye before I walked back into the house, and rested against the closed front door. I wasn't sure how long it would be, but I knew that soon I could honestly say that I was in love with Finn Hudson.

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	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter EIGHT:**

* * *

I slipped the cake filled fork into my mouth and held my hand underneath my jaw to catch the crumbs. About an hour ago I was overjoyed to be able to taste small pieces of multiple different cakes for the wedding, but after the twentieth piece, I was beginning to dread the sugar filled bite.

Marie tasted a potion of the same cake as well and chewed thoroughly as she decided whether she liked the cake or not. She swallowed and turned towards me, "I like it, what about you?"

I scrunched my face, "Yeah, but I don't know if it's the best one we've tried." I began looking through all the cakes. "Where was the cake that had the little frosted hearts on the icing?"

"Oh, yeah, I liked that one too," Marie agreed. "I think we put it on this table over here." Marie walked over to the table in the far corned and quickly located the cake they both liked. She picked it up and held it up fro Rachel to see. "You want to go with this one?"

I nodded, "Yes, definitely. That one was the best in my opinion."

Marie nodded and pulled out a little piece of paper and drew a check mark in the box next to the word "cake."

"What do we have to do next?" I asked her, peering down at the list Marie was holding.

"We still need to pick the color scheme, the flowers, and find a new dress to replace that expensive one we found," Marie replied. She folded the list up and placed it back in her purse. "I guess we can figure out the colors next. Which ones are you thinking of doing?"

I shrugged, "I don't know, I haven't really put much thought in it yet. What about pink? I've always liked the color pink."

Marie smiled brightly, "Yes! I think a light pink color would look amazing with your hair color and skin tone." She started pulling out different samples to pink fabric so we could find the perfect shade. Marie decided to have our next bridal meeting at her office so we could have all sorts of fabrics and other tools to help us plan the wedding.

I picked up a pastel pink and felt the silky fabric, "What do you think of this one?"

Marie felt the fabric in my hands, "Ooo, I like this one. What if we chose one of our other colors as white? Wouldn't this look great with white?"

I thought about the two colors together, "Yeah, especially in the flower arrangements. Let's do it with the pink and white."

"Sounds good," Marie said, getting the list out again and putting a check next to colors. "Okay, what about the flowers?"

"Lilies are my absolute favorite," I replied. "Can we have lilies?"

"Certainly," Marie said, making a note of lilies on her check list. 'Okay, now the only thing left on the list is the dress. I'll have to make another appointment for us, so how about we go back sometime next week?"

"Okay, that sounds good," I told her, taking a seat on one of he chairs in her office. We had been making plans for the wedding all morning long and I was exhausted. We did get a lot done though. Besides the flowers, the cake, and the colors, we also figured out where to hold the wedding and most of the details for the reception.

I was dreading the reception greatly. First of all, my family and friends never met the friends and family of my fiancé's, and there are so many other traditions that I cannot do with a man I don't even know. The first dance? How was I supposed to pull that off? Then after the reception comes the honey moon, of course. According to Marie, my fiancé's aunt offered to pay for the entire trip. Apparently she already arranged for us to have the honeymoon suite at some fancy hotel along the beach. That ought to be fun!

I thought about Finn, and a possible marriage and honeymoon with Finn. It wasn't fair. It's impossible to force true love, especially when I'm already falling for another man. I cleared my throat to capture Marie's attention, and she immediately looked up from her check list.

"Do you need something, Rachel?" Marie asked me.

I nodded my head, "I'm worried about this wedding."

"What's wrong, Rachel?" Marie asked, walking over to sit on the couch next to me.

"Everyone has a soul mate, right?" I asked her. "Everyone has someone they are meant to be with forever."

Marie nodded, seeing where I was taking this.

"What happens when I find my soul mate? What happens when I'm stuck in this marriage, but I'm falling in love with someone else? What happens when I find him?" I asked her, my words coming out quickly.

Marie gave me the look that I didn't want her to give me. The look saying, "You know the answer." She rubbed her hand in circles across my back, and I knew what she was telling me by the action.

"What if I want to have children someday? What if I want to be happy at some point in my life? What if my husband finds his soul mate in the middle of the marriage too?" I asked her, tears forming in my eyes.

"Rachel," Marie said softly. "You're going to find him someday, that's for sure, and maybe by that time you can figure something out between your fiancé and the parents."

I looked down at the ground, wondering if I should tell her the truth or not. "Wh- What if I already found him?"

"Excuse me?" Marie asked me, "What do you mean 'what if you already found him?'"

I turned towards her, "I might have made a big mistake."

"Rachel…" Marie's voice trailed off. "Who is he?"

I placed my hands on my heart. "He's amazing, Marie. He's absolutely incredible, and I'm completely infatuated by him."

"Rachel, you know that-" Marie started until I cut her off.

"I know that I can never continue things with him, but I'm falling for him, Marie. I'm in too deep. I'll never forget about him," I said frantically.

"When did you meet him?" Marie asked me.

"When I first moved here," I said quietly.

Marie's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me that you started it when you knew perfectly well that you were getting married soon? Rachel, what on earth were you thinking?"

"I didn't mean to," I defended myself. "Marie, I can't explain it, but things are different with him. You have to understand, Marie. He means too much to me. I can't possibly turn away now."

Marie's mouth opened and closed a few times as she tried to formulate her words. "I don't know what to tell you, Rachel. I talked to your fathers last night, and the wedding is a go."

I stood up from the couch. "I think I'm just going to head home. I need to clear my head. I'll talk to you later when you have the details for our next appointment to look at dresses." I headed towards the door before Marie could say anything else. "I'll talk to you later."

"Goodbye, Rachel," Marie squeezed in quickly before I was out the door.

I took a deep breath as soon as I was out the door. The reality of the situation kept hitting me harder and harder. It was becoming nearly impossible to picture a life without Finn, but my days without him were approaching at a rapid pace.

I got into my car and started the engine before I drove away from Marie's office and headed home. I drove quickly through the streets of Lima, destined to get home as soon as possible. I was able to get home in record time, and I parked the car in the driveway. I stepped out, wanted to slip into something comfortable and sit in bed all day. However, as I approached the front door, I noticed a large box by the door. I picked up the large box and dragged it inside the house.

Once I was in the house, I placed the box on the counter and peeled off the note that was attached. I looked first to see who it was from, and I was shocked to see that the package was from my fathers.

_Rachel,_

_Marie told us about your wedding dress fiasco, and we felt terrible about the dilemma. So, as an early wedding gift from us to you, we wanted to get you this._

_-Leroy and Hiram Berry._

I tore open the box and peered into the box. My eyes widened as I saw white puffy fabric exploding form the box. I pulled the expensive dress I saw at the bridal shop earlier, and held it up to myself. My dads purchased the dress!

I spun around in a circle while holding the dress and giggled into the empty house. Okay, maybe this wedding wouldn't be too terrible.

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**Sorry it was on the shorter side!**

**Keep up the awesome reviews!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, those of you have been waiting for some more Finchel action, you will love this chapter :)**

**I don't own any part of glee.**

**Chapter 9**

* * *

I tied my running shoes tightly before I jogged out the front door and made my way down the street. The morning jog was becoming part of my morning routine, and I found that when I skipped the morning jog I didn't feel like myself for the day. It was something about breathing in fresh air in the early morning and letting the chilled air hit my face that complete my morning.

As usual, I came to Mercedes' house first. She was sitting next the flowerbed near her front porch as she planted small flowers in the dirt. She happened to look up just as I was passing her home and the waved animatedly towards me.

"Hey, girl," she sang cheerfully.

"Hey 'Cedes," I replied, slowing down my running as I passed her house. "How's everything going?"

"Good," Mercedes replied, "just trying to get my gardening in before the big storm hits."

"Big storm?" I asked her, coming to a complete stop at the end of her driveway.

"You didn't hear about it?" Mercedes questioned. "According to the weather report we're in for quite the storm tonight. Sam looked at the radar this morning and there's a huge line of red headed our way."

I flinched at her words; thunder and I had never gotten along well. Especially when I was alone in the house as a child and I had to suffer through the load booming sound without anyone to comfort me.

"Thanks for the warning," I told Mercedes, starting my jogging back up again and I continued on down the road. Soon enough, I reached Santana's house, and I noticed her sitting on the front porch holding her cell phone in her hands as she typed. She looked up from her task and noticed me passing by and she stood up from her chair beginning to approach me.

"Rachel, I have to talk to you for a second," Santana called from the porch so I'd slow down to have the conversation. She quickened her speed and eventually made it to the end of her driveway. "I've been thinking a lot about what you said to me the other night, and I decided to take your advice. I'm having my parents and my grandmother over for dinner tonight."

"Really? Santana, that's great! I'm sure everything will go along smoothly," I assured her, smiling at her newfound confidence, wishing that I could find the same courage to stand up for what I believe in.

"Hopefully," Santana responded. "I'm planning on easing them into it to make the landing softer. I don't think blurting it out would go too well, especially since none of them know Brittany too well."

"That sounds like a good idea," I told her. "I'm really proud of you for being able to do this. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for yourself sometimes."

"Like you said, Rachel. I'm never going to be happy if I keep this all locked up inside for the rest of my life. I want to be able to live happily with Brittany, and I can't do that if I'm lying to everyone else all the time."

"Good for you, Santana," I replied. "I hope that I'll be able to stand up against my dads someday."

"You'll get there, Rachel," Santana said encouragingly. She began backing up towards the house. "I'll let you get back to your walk now, I just couldn't wait to tell you the news."

"I'm glad you told me," I said, starting to jog again. I continued on down the road, hoping for no more distractions so I could finish my exercise in peace. I successfully made it to the end of the long road without seeing anyone, and I turned around to run back up the street.

As I approached Santana's house I noticed that she had gone inside, and Mercedes was nowhere in sight either. I loved my neighbors, they were so nice, but sometimes it was nice to have a little but of Rachel time.

Suddenly, I noticed a remote control car zooming towards me. I came fast down the road and I stopped running before it hit me. It came crashing into my feet, backed up, and crashed into me yet again. I looked at the house across from Mercedes' house, which she told me belonged to the Puckerman's, and I saw a little boy giggling on the front porch, holding a remote control in his hands. I bent over and picked up the car, causing a frown to appear on the boy's face. I carried the car back to him, and when I reached the young boy I crossed my arms across my chest.

"You know, it's not very polite to run your car into other people," I said to the boy, still holding the toy in my hand.

His eyes dropped to the ground and he mumbled out a quick, "I know."

"Is there anything you'd like to say to me?" I asked him, tightening my grip on the toy car.

"I'm sorry," he said quietly. He slowly brought his eyes up to mine and the cutest little pout was spread across his face.

"I accept your apology," I told him nicely. "Here's your car," and I handed him the toy that he gratefully accepted.

A smile spread across his face now, "Thank you!" He placed the car on the porch beside him and started driving it around in circles. "My daddy got me this car for my birthday," he announced as he continued to drive the car around.

"Really? And when is your birthday?" I asked him, thinking he was one of the most adorable boys I had ever seen.

"Today," he replied, "I'm 6 years old!"

"Wow! Happy birthday!" I exclaimed, and he smiled back at me.

"Hey, Ethan?" A masculine voice from inside the house called out. "Everything okay out there?" A man opened the screen door of the house and stepped outside. He gave me a confused look and then looked back at Ethan. "Would you like to introduce me to your friend?"

I stood up, realizing that I never even told Ethan my name. "I'm Rachel Berry, I stopped by to see his car."

"Oh, so you're the new neighbor," the man said. "I'm Noah Puckerman."

I shook his hand after we made our introductions, wondering where his wife was. From what Mercedes told me they seemed like an… interesting family, and I couldn't help hut be curious.

"Well, buddy, I think lunch is almost ready. You hungry?" Puck asked his son.

Ethan looked up from his toy and nodded his head, standing up from his seat and running into the house. Puck looked back up at me and started opening the door to go inside himself.

"It was nice meeting you," he told me, stepping into the house.

"You too," I replied, heading down the driveway and back towards my own home. Once I returned home, I followed the Puckerman's example and made myself some lunch. I prepared a sandwich and sat down in the family room to eat. Turning on the television set, I skimmed through the hundreds of channels, quickly finding a channel with a musical movie marathon. I turned on the channel, which was currently showing _Hairspray_, and sat back in my chair to enjoy the film.

Once I was done with my lunch I pulled out my cell phone, and found Finn's name in my contact list. I hit the green call button and listened to the phone ring a few times before Finn answered his phone.

"Hey, Rachel," he greeted happily, "What's up?"

"Hi, Finn," I said into the phone, walking back into the family room and sitting on the couch again. "I was just sitting here watching some movies on cable and was wondering if you'd want to stop by. It's been a while since we've seen each other."

"It has been a while, hasn't it?" Finn observed. "I'll be there in a few."

"Okay, I'll see you soon," I told him before ending the short call. I snuggled deeper into the couch as the movie progressed, anticipating Finn's arrival.

During the next commercial break, I stood up and headed for the kitchen. I rummaged through the room, looking for popcorn packages. I found the box in the cupboard next to the refrigerator, and pulled a packet out of the package. I tossed the bag into the microwave resting in the corner of the room and pressed the popcorn button, watching as the bag slowly got larger and larger as the heat surrounded it. Soon enough, the microwave beeped, telling me that the snack was ready. I opened the microwave and poured the buttery snack into a larger bowl. After I tossed the bag into the trashcan, I carried the bowl of popcorn into the family room just in time for the doorbell to ring.

I skipped to the door, swinging it open with enthusiasm. "Hello, Finn," I greeted, stepping aside to let him in. He was wearing a black T-shirt and dark blue jeans, and I admired how good he looked in black.

Finn stepped inside the house and planted a kiss on my lips as a greeting. He pecked my lips a few more times before stepping back, "Hello, Rachel."

I giggled and closed the door behind him. I realized that this was the first time Finn had actually been inside my house and I offered to give him a tour of the house. I took him through each room, being sure to show him where all the rest rooms were located. Eventually, we made it to the family room and we snuggled up on the larger couch together. He wrapped him arm around my smaller body and I rested my head against his chest, feeling it rise and fall along with his breathing.

"Is this _Hairspray_?" Finn asked, observing the movie carefully.

"The ending of it, yes," I replied. "Have you seen it before?"

"Yeah," he admitted. "My brother was obsessed with this movie along with _Rent _and _Wicked._"

I smiled, "He has a wonderful taste in Broadway classics then. I love those movies too, but my favorite would have to be _Funny Girl._"

"He owns that one too," Finn told me. "My childhood consisted of him forcing me to watch Broadway stuff with him, and I ended up liking it after a while."

"That's good. Broadway films are incredible," I commented. We watched the rest of them movie, and enjoyed the popcorn as it came to an end, and I was thrilled to see that _Rent_ was coming on next. I noticed that the outside world was beginning to get darker, and I figured it was just because it was starting to get late, but I became suspicious when I realized it was only 4:00. I pushed my suspicions aside as the movie began, and I cuddled further into Finn's body.

When we stopped the movie marathon to make ourselves dinner, I heard the sound of rain outside.

"My neighbor told me that we're in for quite the storm tonight," I told Finn as I pulled a large frozen pizza out of the freezer.

"Yeah, I heard about that. I'm sure it won't be too bad though, when are the weather people ever correct?" Finn replied.

I slipped the pizza into the over and set the timer before I walked back over to Finn who was leaning against the kitchen counter. "So, what do you want to do while we wait for the pizza?" I asked him, slipping my arms around his waist. He arched an eyebrow, leaning in and pressing his lips against mine. I sighed into the kiss, molding my body against his as he deepened the kiss. He spun me around and lifted me up so I could sit on the counter along the kitchen wall. Soon, his lips attacked mine again, and I brought my hands up to rest on the sides of his perfect face.

His hands slowly traveled lower, and lower, and I was too distracted by our activities to notice his hands resting on my butt.

My hands ran across his abdomen, and I left his muscles through the thin material of his shirt. My hands were about to slip under his shirt, when the beeping of the oven lifted me out of my trance. My eyes shot open and I maneuvered myself out of his grasp, running towards the oven. I removed the pizza from the over and placed it on the counter to cool down.

I looked at Finn, and noticed that his lips were red and swollen from our activities. I wondered what my own appearance looked like I tried to catch my breath.

Finn approached me and rested his forehead against mine, lightly pressing his lips on mine. His hands rested on my hips as he kissed me a few more times, and I had to give him a light push to avoid things getting too heated up again.

I pulled out a knife and began dividing up the pizza, and pulled out two paper plates. I handed one to Finn, and we both took our preferred amount of slices. We returned to the family room to eat our dinner and soon resumed our cuddling. After we cleaned up the remains of our dinner we sat down again to watch a few more movies.

It happened around 11:00. Thunder had been rumbling outside for a while, but it didn't take long for the storm to pick up. I watched as the picture on the TV flickered a few times before shutting off along with all the other electronic devices in the house. Finn and I were left in total and complete darkness.

"Well, that's just great," I commented. I took Finn's hand and pulled him into the kitchen to find the spare flashlight. When I found it, I turned it on, lighting a small section of the room. A loud crack of thunder boomed throughout the entire house, and I flinched, wrapping my arms around my body.

"Is everything okay?" Finn asked, concerned.

I shook my head, "I've always had a phobia of thunder." I flinched again as another booming sound rattled the house.

"I don't think the storm will be breaking up any time soon. Are you going to be okay overnight?"

I shrugged my shoulders and locked my eyes with his, "Will you stay with me tonight?"

Finn nodded his head, "Yes, of course."

I gratefully wrapped my arms around his body to give him a hug and pulled him towards the bedroom. I was shaking nervously the whole way there for I had never been this close to a boy before. Once we were in the room I pulled a few candles out of the dresser and lit them, lighting the room a little bit. I turned around and grabbed my pajamas from the dresser, intending on going to the bathroom to change before joining Finn in the bed, but when I turned around I noticed that Finn had already made the move of discarding his shirt.

I took in a breath at the sight of his muscular chest and arms, and we both stood there for a moment, not knowing what to do.

Feeling bolder than usual, I placed my pajamas on the bed and grabbed the ends of my own shirt. I took a deep breath before pulling the article of clothing over my head, leaving me in just my pants and bra. My hands reached back around behind me to unclasp my bra, and I let it fall to the floor below me.

It was Finn's turn to take in a sharp breath, and his eyes glued to my body. Feeling uncomfortable under his intense stares, I reached for my pajama top, moving it around quickly so I could put it on.

"Wait, don't," Finn suddenly spoke, walking over to me and taking the shirt from my hands. "You're beautiful, Rachel, absolutely stunning."

"Finn, I-" I stammered, feeling my cheeks getting red because of the situation.

"Rachel, we're not going to do anything you're not ready for, okay?" Finn assured me.

I nodded my head, feeling a little more comfortable. I moved over to the bed and sat down, motioning for Finn to come and join me. He came over to me, and I leaned back against the mattress as Finn hovered above me. He placed a soft kiss against my lips, before rolling off beside me. He made a quick move of removing his jeans, as did I, and I snuggled up against his side. I wrapped my arm around his stomach and rested my head against his shoulder.

My eyes traveled up to his, and I took in a deep breath. "I love you, Finn."

He remained silent for a moment before kissing my sweetly. "I love you too, Rachel."

I closed my eyes and allowed myself to fall into a deep slumber, sleeping better than I ever had before.

* * *

**Review :)**

**By the way, I kind of recently started writing romance type things, so I'm still easing myself in to the big romantic kissing scenes and stuff, so please be patient with me! Thanks!**


	10. Chapter 10

**I'm so incredibly sorry about the wait for this chapter. I really wanted to writ but I haven't exactly been in a very gleetastic mood lately. **

**I don't own glee.**

**Chapter 10~**

* * *

I woke up the next morning, intending on stretching out my tired limbs, but a weight on my stomach kept me pinned down on the mattress. My eyes shot open to see who the attacker of the night was, but I soon relaxed when the events of the previous night came flooding back into my mind. Finn's face was buried deep into the pillow and his breaths were slow and heavy, letting me know that he was definitely not awake. I admired how handsome he was even when he was asleep. His hair pointed in all different directions and he looked so peaceful.

It was then that I realized I never even bothered to put on a shirt last night. However, the uncomfortable and exposed feeling I had was gone this time. Finn made me feel adventurous, and I kept wanting to experiment new things in our growing relationship. A number of things could have happened last night, but Finn stopped it. He knew I wasn't quite ready for that kind of relationship, and I loved him so much for that.

Suddenly, Finn's grip around my stomach tightened, and he shifted under the blankets behind me. When he finally regained consciousness, his fingers started drawing slow and lazy circles beneath my chest.

"Good morning," I said softly, turning to face him.

"Morning," he mumbled, his voice full of sleep. Half of his face was still buried deep into the pillow, and the half that I could see was trying to overcome sleep.

"Sleep well?" I asked him, running a finger over his chest.

"Yeah," he replied, his fingers drawing bigger circles that were starting to reach dangerously high on my abdomen. I almost grabbed his hand to shove it away before he crossed the border, but his hands never reached the point.

"Would you like some breakfast? I have some pancake mix in the kitchen," I told him.

"Pancakes sound great," Finn told me, removing his hands from me to wipe the remaining sleep away from his eyes.

I sat up on the bed, the sheets falling from my body as I stood up from the bed. I refused to let myself feel self-conscious because I knew Finn wouldn't make me feel that way. I found his black T-shirt on the floor and I pulled it over my head letting the fabric reach my knees. I took Finn's hand and pulled him towards the kitchen with me. When we reached the room I immediately started pulling out everything needed to make our pancakes. I instructed for Finn to heat up the stove so we could begin cooking the breakfast right away.

I pulled out a cooking pan and set it on one of the burners and waited for it to get hot enough to cook. As I stood in front of the stove I felt Finn's hands wrap around my waist, his fingers playing with the hem of his shirt. I rested my head against his shoulder and hummed contently.

I poured the pancake mix into the pan and let the batter form into delicious pancakes for our breakfast. I continued to make pancakes until the mix was all used up and there were no more pancakes to make. Finn and I each took a few pancakes and put them on our plates before we sat down at the table to enjoy our food. I watched as Finn took the first bite of his, waiting to see how he liked the food I prepared for him.

He chewed for a moment before looking up at me from his plate, "These are really good, Rachel. You're a really good cook."

My lips curved up into a smile, "Thank you so much! That means a lot to me. I've had quite a bit of cooking practice over the years."

"I've never been a good cook. Everything I make usually turns out to be burnt or inedible in the end," Finn replied. "My mom was a pretty good cook though."

We quickly finished our pancakes and washed off our dishes once we were done eating. I put the dirty dishes into the dishwasher in the corner of the kitchen and cleaned up the pan that was left out on the stove.

Finn cleared his throat to get my attention, "I should probably get going. I told my mom I'd meet her for brunch this morning. She said that there was something she needed to talk to me about." He walked past me towards my bedroom to gather all of his things before leaving. He pulled on his jeans and looked at the shirt that I was wearing, arching an eyebrow as he did so.

"You're not getting your shirt back," I told him, hugging it closer to my body.

"That's fine, I've got plenty more at home," he replied, pecking my lips quickly before walking back into the kitchen. "I really have to get going now, though. My mom's probably waiting for me."

"Is everything okay?" I asked him, concerned.

"Yeah, it's probably something stupid. She considers a small stain on her sweater to be a major issue," Finn told me, picking his car keys up from the table.

"Just call me as soon as you're done," I said. "I don't want to be worrying about you all day."

"Don't worry, I'd be calling you tonight even if I wasn't seeing my mother today," Finn assured me, pecking my lips before he began walking towards the door.

"Hey," I called after him, making him stop his steps towards the door. "I want a real goodbye kiss," I told him once he was turned to face me again.

A smile appeared on his lips as he walked towards me and pulled me into his arms, placing a passionate kiss on my lips. His hands ran up and down my back as he deepened the kiss and pulled me closer to his body. He pulled back after a minute, still smiling, "Better?"

I bit my lip and nodded, not being able to find any words.

"I'll see you later, Rachel," Finn said before walking out the front door, leaving me happier than I had ever been before. Before he got into his car he looked back at me and shouted, "I love you, Rachel."

"I love you too," I shouted back, giggling as he blew me a goodbye kiss. I slipped back into the house and placed a hand over my heart, gripping the thin material of Finn's shirt.

* * *

I stepped out of the warmth of the shower and wrapped the towel around my body before I wiped the steam off the mirror. I decided to skip my usual morning run for the day and have a lazy day instead. I wasn't in much of an energetic mood.

I pulled on my clothes I had picked out for the day, and when I was finished I heard the phone ringing. For a moment I thought it would be Finn, but there was no way his meeting with his mother could have ended within an hour. Once I got to the phone I read Santana's name on the caller ID. I quickly recalled her mentioning the fact that she had the meeting with her family last night.

"Hello?" I asked as I answered the phone, waiting to hear Santana's voice on the other end of the line.

"Hey Rachel," Santana's voice finally came through. "I had my dinner last night."

"Yeah, how did everything go?" I asked her. "Is everything okay between you and your parents?"

"Well, everything was going great when we started dinner," Santana began her story. "I wasn't exactly sure how to even begin, so I started off by bringing up all of my past failed relationships. Then, I brought up my friendship with Brittany and how well we get along and everything. Finally, I told them all that the way I feel about Brittany is the way I should feel about men. I told them that it's different with Brittany, and that I hope they understand."

"How did they react?" I asked, "Are they okay with it?"

"They were shocked at first," Santana replied. "They were kind of freaking out at first, but eventually they realized that Brittany makes me happy, and they just want me to be happy."

"Oh, Santana, that's fantastic news!" I responded happily. "How did your grandmother take it?"

"My grandmother? When I first told them she was completely silent, and I thought she was okay with it," Santana told me. "After my parents shared their opinions I asked my grandma if she was okay."

"What did she say?"

"She was so… hateful. She just started telling me that people like me are a waste and that she wants nothing to do with me anymore." Santana's voice became softer with every word. "Then she left."

"Santana, I am so, so sorry that had to happen," I told her, trying to lift her saddened spirits. "If she can't accept you, then she doesn't deserve someone as incredible as you. You made the right choice to tell her."

"Do you really think so?" Santana's quiet voice came through.

"I know so," I replied. "Think about it this way. Your parents accept you, right? Now you can properly introduce them to Brittany and have a happy life. You don't have to deal with that Karofsky guy anymore!"

"Yeah, I guess I hadn't thought about it that way. Thanks, Rachel. You're a great friend," Santana told me.

"I'm glad to help," I told her happily.

"You know, I don't mean to pry or anything, but I saw something pretty interesting this morning," Santana said, suddenly changing the subject.

"Really? What did you see?" I asked her curiously.

"Last night before my dinner started I was looking out my window and saw a car arrive at your house. I couldn't get a good look at who it was but I am positive the person was in fact a male," Santana began, and I instantly knew where she was going with this. "Normally I wouldn't think too much of something like that, however, this morning I noticed that the car had stayed there over night. Care to explain?"

I couldn't stop the blush from forming on my face, and I was very thankful that Santana couldn't see my appearance. I didn't even know where to begin with explaining this to Santana, seeing as Finn was her ex-boyfriend.

"Before you jump to any conclusions, nothing happened last night," I informed her, wanting to make that a very clear fact. "I invited him, my boyfriend, over yesterday, and when the power went out I asked him to stay over. All we did was sleep, it was no big deal."

"I didn't know you had a boyfriend!" Santana squealed. "Come on, give me some details!"

"Well, we haven't been together for very long. We started seeing each other shortly after I moved here," I started. "He's absolutely incredible, and I can see our relationship lasting a very long time."

"Sounds sweet," Santana replied. "Would I know who he is?"

"Umm… you actually do know him," I said awkwardly, not wanting to tell Santana the truth.

"Really? Who is he?" Santana asked eagerly.

"Your ex-boyfriend, Finn Hudson," I said shyly.

"Hudson?" Santana asked, "That's really nice, I'm glad he found you. I can definitely see you two making a good couple."

I let out a sigh of relief. Santana was okay that I was seeing Finn and I couldn't have been happier.

"Listen, I have to get going. I have to meet Brittany later on and I need to get ready," Santana told me. "I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, I'll see you soon," I told her before hanging up the phone. I sighed contently as I sat down on the couch. Everything was finally perfect in my life.

…Except for the whole arranged marriage thing.

* * *

A few hours later I received a text message from Finn. Though I was expecting a phone call, I was happy to receive contact from him. When I read the message I quickly realized that it didn't mention his meeting with his mother, instead it demanded that I meet him at Lillian's diner as soon as possible.

Wondering what might have happened between Finn and his mother, I quickly slipped on my shoes and headed out the door. I climbed into my car and quickly headed over to Lillian's.

I arrived at the diner in record time, and noticed Finn standing outside the diner instead of inside. I expected to be greeted by his warm and loving smile, however when Finn saw me his expression seemed cold and broken. I rushed to his side to see what was bothering him so much. When I gently placed my hand on his arm, he shook it off and turned his gaze towards the ground.

"Finn? What's going on?" I asked him, trying to meet his gaze. "What did your mother say to you?"

"I can't do this," he said quietly, his voice telling me that he was almost in tears.

"You can't do what?" I asked him.

"This," his eyes met mine as his hand motioned in between us. "I can't see you anymore."

My eyes widened as his words sent me crashing down. "What? Did I do something wrong?" My breathing became quicker and I was having a hard time making sense of my surroundings.

"No," Finn assured me, "You did nothing wrong."

"I don't understand. What happened?"

"Look, my mom hasn't been telling me the truth for a while," Finn started, his eyes staring right into my soul. "I told her about you today, and… things just got very complicated. I can't explain it to you. I love you too much to be with you, Rachel, I can't do this to you."

"Can't do what to me?" I pleaded, grabbing his arm so tightly to tell him I was never letting him go.

"I can't tell you, Rachel, and it breaks my heart to have to do this to you."

"Then don't," I said, gripping his arm tighter.

His hardened face softened as he pulled me closer and placed a kiss on my forehead. "I can't get out of this. I need to go."

"Finn," I whispered, feeling his arm slip from my hand.

"My mom's waiting for me," he said, stepping back. "I have to go, I don't have a choice."

"Please, Finn," I begged, but he continued to walk away, leaving me with a broken and helpless expression on his once happy and jolly face.

* * *

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	11. Chapter 11

**The temperature outside is now -11 degrees, which means I am now on snow day number 2 this week from school. I'm not complaining though, that just means I have more time to write! :)**

**I don't own glee. **

**Chapter 11~**

* * *

Two weeks. The wedding was in two weeks. How am I supposed to get married to some unknown man and pretend I am thrilled to be spending the rest of my life with this man when my heart has just been violently ripped from my chest and thrown on the ground?

Marie came over about an hour after Finn called things off to share the news of the wedding. She immediately noticed something was wrong and I had to tell her the story of what happened. After I finished my story, Marie told me that maybe the break up was for the best. I would have had to end things with him anyway, Finn just got the job done a few weeks in advance.

Maybe it was for the best. How would I have even broken up with him? I already loved him so much, I don't think I would have been able to break it off with him. He would have hated me. Why wouldn't he? I played with his feelings, knowing our relationship was only temporary. Santana was right. I am a horrible person.

I decided to go outside and sit on the front porch, the fresh air would probably be good for me. I poured myself a glass of water and walked outside to sit on the porch swing. A light breeze blew through the air, chilling my tear-stained eyes. I blinked the tears away, only to be greeted by a new wave of fresh tears.

I quickly wiped away my tears when I saw Mercedes walking down the street towards my house. She had a plate full of something in her hands, and she waved enthusiastically when she caught my eye.

Mercedes walked onto the porch and handed me a plate of muffins, "Sam and I made a ton last night and I thought you might enjoy some."

I took the plate from her hands and smiled thankfully, "Thank you, Mercedes. These look delightful, I cannot wait to eat them."

Mercedes' smile faded as she finally took in my appearance, "Is everything okay?"

I set the plate of cupcakes on the bench beside me and shook my head, "No, everything is not okay. Everything is terrible, actually."

"What's wrong, Rachel? What happened?" Mercedes asked, sitting on the other side of the muffin plate.

"Do you remember when I first moved here, and you were telling me that it seems like everyone in this neighborhood has something to hide?" I asked her, trying to jog her memory.

"Yeah, I remember. Why?"

"I guess you can officially add me to the list of people with a big secret," I confessed. "I wasn't totally honest with you when I told you why I moved over to this side of Lima. I was actually kind of forced into moving here by my parents."

"Why would they force you into moving here?" Mercedes asked, looking very concerned.

"Because this is the house they want me to share with the guy I am arranged to be married to in two weeks," I told her, daring myself to look at her to see her reaction.

Mercedes had an expression of shock and confusion. "You have an arranged marriage?"

I nodded my head. "Yes, I do, and I am not allowed to meet the guy until I am actually walking down the aisle. I guess his family is really crazy or something and has come up with all these bizarre conditions for the wedding."

"Rachel, I don't understand. This sounds like a horrible arrangement. Why are you even involved?"

"My parents signed a contract making me involved. If I marry this lady's nephew, my dads will get their dream jobs. They jumped at the opportunity," I replied. "So, in a way, they sold me for their own selfish reasons."

"That's terrible," Mercedes exclaimed, "I had no idea this was happening to you."

"And the worst part is, I've already met the man I want to marry someday. I met someone that I love more than anything, but I am not allowed to pursue the relationship," I said, slumping down in my seat.

"What, and they don't even care that their daughter is going to spend the rest of her life being miserable?" Mercedes asked.

I shrugged my shoulders and wrapped my arms around my body. "Maybe I deserve to be miserable. Everyone who has come into my life in the past has treated me like I was nothing. The guy that I met was the first person who ever actually… saw me, and I led him into a relationship doomed for failure. I am a terrible person, I probably deserve a marriage like this."

"Okay, Rachel, stop it. No one deserves a miserable life. No one. And as for this guy you've been seeing, I think you should try to make it work. Talk it through and find a way out of this marriage. You deserve to be happy."

"Mercedes, it's not like that," I told her. "He broke up with me. He's the one that ended the relationship, and I have no idea what I did wrong. Believe me, if I knew of a way to fix things and be with him, I would do it in a heartbeat."

"What do you mean you don't know why he broke up with you?"

"He said that something happened between him and his mom. He left before I could get anything else out of him," I replied.

"I'm sorry, Rachel," Mercedes said. "I really, truly am. But, even if things can't work out between you and this guy, I still think that you need to try to get out of this marriage. You'll find someone who you'll love so much more than this fiancé of yours."

I let Mercedes' words sink in as she stood up from the bench. She started walking towards the steps of the porch.

"I need to get going. Sam and I are stopping by his parent's house for dinner and I need to get ready," Mercedes told me. "Think about what I said, okay?"

I nodded my head and watched as Mercedes walked away from my property. I picked up the plate of muffins and walked back into my house, not wanting to process all the new information I had.

Was Mercedes right? Was there a way out of the arranged marriage? Sure, I suppose this guy and I could always just get a divorce or something down the line, but what about possible alternatives right now? They said they signed a contract. That seems fairly permanent to me.

I walked into the kitchen and began pulling out supplies to make myself some dinner. I decided to just make myself a salad because the events of the day made my appetite vanish. As I was placed lettuce into a bowl I heard the sound of the doorbell ringing.

I left the kitchen and headed towards the front door, wondering who would have come to visit me. Most of my hoped it was Finn coming back to ask that we get back together, but I knew that wasn't true. Seeing Finn again this soon was too good to be true.

I opened the door to reveal my dads standing on the other side of the door. I tilted my head in confusion as they both wore smiles on their faces. What were they doing here? I haven't seen them since they dropped the arranged marriage bomb on me.

"Darling! Hello!" My dad greeted enthusiastically, pulling me into a hug.

"Hi," I said in confusion, hugging him back. I hugged my daddy after the hug with my dad ended. "What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to congratulate you. It's not every day that our little girl gets married!" my dad exclaimed. Both of my fathers stepped into the house and made their way into the family room. "Rachel, we cannot even begin to tell you how excited we are about this wedding."

"We had a meeting with your fiancé's aunt and she is just as thrilled. We've told her a lot about you, and she thinks that you are a perfect match for her nephew. She has told us quite a bit about her nephew, and we think the two of you will definitely be getting along nicely," my dad explained.

"Okay," I said slowly, still in pure confusion. Did they really think that I was happy about this wedding?

"So, did you get the dress?" my dad asked me.

"Yes, I got the dress," I replied, eying them suspiciously.

"Did you like it? Marie was telling us all about the dress you saw and we just knew we had to get it for you," Dad continued on. "It really is a lovely dress."

"Yeah, I like it. Thank you for getting it for me," I said, wanting nothing more than to leave the awkward situation we found ourselves in.

"You are very welcome, darling," my daddy said. "So, do you have any plans for dinner tonight?"

I used my thumb to point back to the kitchen, "I was just about to make myself a salad. Why?"

"We want to take you out to dinner tonight, Rachel. It's the least we can do for you," my daddy offered. "We can go out to Breadstix, I know that you use to love going there when you were younger."

My stomach grumbled a little, I did love Breadstix. "But it's all the way across town. Are you sure that you want to take me there?"

"Of course! It's our treat," my dad insisted. "Won't you please come and join us, Rachel? It's been so long since we've done something together as a family."

I laughed a little inside of my head. Whose fault is it that we spend so little time together?

"So, what do you say?" my dad asked, giving me a pleading look.

I let out a breath before I gave in to their requests. "Sure. I'll come along."

My dads seemed to be extremely thrilled by my response. They stood up from the couch and had me follow them out to their car. We all climbed into the vehicle and headed out towards town. My eyes were glued to the window as we drove past Lillian's. A peered through the window as we drove past and I could have sworn I saw a tall and handsome man sitting inside. I closed my eyes as my heart continued to ache. My path was leading me away from Finn Hudson, and it was about time I started accepting that fact.

* * *

**Sorry these chapter have been a little short. I promise they will be getting longer! **

**Remember to leave me a review! I love to know what you guys think!**


	12. Chapter 12

**I don't own glee.**

**Chapter 12**

* * *

I threw myself onto my bed and pulled the covers up over my body. The last two weeks went by in a blur, and I was exhausted. I spent the majority of the past two weeks with my fathers and Marie, making all the last minute details.

I couldn't have been happier that I had Marie by my side at all times throughout the process. My fiancé's aunt didn't want us to have bridesmaids of groomsmen at all, so without Marie I would have had to go through this alone.

My gaze went down to my bare left hand, my ring finger to be exact. I imagined what my wedding ring would look like. What size, what tint, what cut, I imagined every little detail. Would it feel weird to have the foreign object on my hand?

I rolled over on my stomach on the bed, and it suddenly hit me that this would be the last time I would be going to bed alone. The wedding was _tomorrow_. I'm getting married tomorrow. Tomorrow I will no longer be Miss Rachel Berry. Tomorrow I will be Mrs. Rachel Whatever.

Tomorrow.

The thought of this marriage made me feel queasy. After tomorrow, I am no longer free. I couldn't help but wonder how he was feeling about all this. Or what he was like even. Was he even going to take this marriage seriously? Would he treat me with respect? Would he cheat on me every chance he got?

Feeling drained, I molded the sheets around my back and cuddled into my pillow, wanting to at least imagine that it was Finn holding me as I fell asleep. If I concentrated enough, I could catch a bit of his scent still lingering through the air.

I let my eyes fall closed as sleep fell upon me. My last night alone slowly drifted away from me, and even though it seemed impossible from the start, I had a feeling that my cold and lonely house was about to freeze over.

* * *

I woke up by the sound of my alarm clock ringing. I rolled over the barrier of sheets behind me and slammed the button on the clock. I never experienced a wedding before, but I was nearly positive that this was not how a bride-to-be was supposed to feel on the morning of her wedding.

I climbed out of my warm bed and headed for the kitchen. Once I reached the kitchen I pulled out the cereal box, the milk carton, a bowl, and a spoon. I was aware that a big breakfast was probably good for me, but I didn't really care. A big meal didn't sound very appealing to my unforgivable nerves.

I glanced at the clock, seeing that it read 8:30. Marie mentioned that she'd be picking me up at 10:00 to start getting ready for the day's events. The wedding would take place at 3:00, and the reception would start an hour after the wedding was finished.

Marie and I talked for a while about the reception. I was very aware of the fact that I would have to have my first dance with my new husband at the reception. My nerves struck me harder as I thought about all the firsts I would have to go through today. My first kiss with the guy would be on our wedding day. What if we have no chemistry? What if we had a lot of chemistry, and we actually ended up falling in love? What if this marriage did turn out to be a good thing.

With my mind running a thousand miles per hour, I cleaned up my breakfast bowl and headed to the bathroom to take a shower. I was sure of one thing, this was going to be a long day.

* * *

Someone began frantically knocking on the door around 9:30 that morning. I knew it couldn't be Marie because she was always on time. She was never late, never early, always on time. I hurried over to the door, worried that it might be an emergency of some kind, but when I opened the door I saw that it was only Santana.

"Santana, hi, I wasn't expecting to see you here," I said to her, stepping aside so she could enter the house.

Santana walked into the house and gave me a sympathetic look, "I remembered you telling Mercedes and I that today was the day of your wedding. I just wanted to see how you were holding up."

I shrugged my shoulder slightly, "I guess I'm doing better than I thought I'd be doing. It's frightening to think that in a few hours I will be married to someone I've never even met."

"I can't believe you weren't even allowed to meet the guy you'll be marrying. Is the first time you see him going to be when you are walking down the aisle?" Santana asked.

"Yep, pretty much," I replied. "We're not even going to have our first conversation until after we're married. What if he turns out to be the biggest jerk in history? How am I supposed to live with that?"

"He might turn out to be the man of your dreams, too," Santana pointed out.

"I know, and I considered that, but what are the odds that this disastrous situation will turn out to be a positive thing?" I asked her.

"You never know, Rachel," Santana said. "I guess my only advice to you is to go into this open-minded. First impressions don't always define who a person is going to be. I think you should really try to get to know this guy and try to make the most out of this marriage."

"I'll try," I promised. "Okay, I have to finish getting ready because I have to leave in 30 minutes. Wish me luck!"

Santana walked towards the door, "Good luck with everything, Rachel. You're going to do great, and I'm sure everything will turn out okay.

"Thanks Santana," I said before she left the house. I closed the door behind Santana and headed for my bedroom to finish getting ready. Santana's words calmed me some, but I was still on edge. I just wanted this horrifying day to be over with for good.

* * *

Marie arrived at 10:00 on the dot. As soon as I answered the door, she forced me out the door and hurried me over to her car. It was a typical Marie move, worrying about being late, and we end up being super early. I didn't mind though, I always enjoyed having the extra time at the end of every planned activity with Marie.

"So, are you ready for today?" Marie asked me as she drove down the street.

"Oh, boy, am I!" I said sarcastically.

"It won't be that bad, Rachel," Marie assured me. "I was over at your fiancé's place last night going over a few last-minute details, and he's having some pre-wedding jitters as well. I'm being honest when I say I think you two will be really good together. He's so sweet, and he's so worried that he's not going to be enough for you, or that he won't be able to please you."

"Really?" I asked, her words making me feel much better.

"Of course," Marie responded. "Trust me, Rachel. He takes marriage seriously, and he wants to make the best out of this arranged marriage. He's just terrified that you won't feel the same way."

"I feel the exact same way about the marriage," I replied.

"I know, and that's what I told him last night. I told him that you were a kind, intelligent, and very beautiful young woman, and I assured him that you were feeling the same way that he was," Marie told me.

"So you really think things are going to work out?" I asked her, almost feeling semi-calm again.

"I really do, Rachel," Marie replied.

* * *

Marie helped me apply my makeup perfectly, making sure every imperfection was invisible. My hair was pinned up in curlers, and my nails were just finishing drying. My dress hung from its hanger in the corner of the room.

I was thrilled by all the attention I was getting. After spending a lot of time feeling invisible, being the center of attention for once made me feel great. Everyone kept saying how beautiful I was, and all the compliments warmed my heart.

Marie did one final swipe with the blush and stepped back, admiring her work. "Rachel, you look so pretty!"

I gazed at my reflection in the mirror, and for once I actually thought I looked nice. My hands raised to my hair and I felt to see if the hair wrapped in the curlers was dry enough to remove the accessories. "Do you think we can do my hair now? Or should we wait?"

Marie felt my hair, "We can take it out now, your hair feels dry enough." She motioned for me to sit down once more, and as soon as I was in the chair she began pulling the curlers out one by one. "So, Rachel, how are you feeling now?"

"I feel a lot better than I did this morning," I replied honestly. "Still nervous, but definitely better."

"Good, I'm glad to hear it," Marie responded. She continued to pull the curlers out, "This is going to look so good when we are done!"

"I think that's the one good thing about this whole process. I get to spend one day being treated like a princess!" I said, examining the curls in my hair. I had to admit, my hair did look fantastic.

Marie laughed, "See! I told you that it wouldn't be that bad!" She finished pulling out the rest of the hair curlers and placed them back on their package. She used her fingers to fluff up the curls before she added about a gallon on hairspray. "Okay, Rachel, what do you think?"

I lightly felt the curls with my fingertips, and smiled brightly, "I think that I love it!"

"So do you want to put your dress on? Your amazing, beautiful, fantastic dress?" Marie asked, shining with excitement. We walked over to the back side of the dressing room and removed the dress from tis bag. I shed the robe that I was wearing and waited for Marie to unzip the silky material. She opened up the dress and helped me step into the flawless dress. Once it was pulled up all the way she zipped the dress up again and we fixed all the layers and smoothed out the material. I slipped into my white sparkling heels before I walked over to the full length mirror, gasping once I saw my reflection.

Everything was perfect. Everything was absolutely perfect. The dress, the shoes, the hair, everything was just how I always imagined it to be and more. I looked like the princess in the movies whose dreams were just about to come true. The only difference was that my dreams were not about to come true. A single tear fell from my eye and Marie rushed to my side.

"Rachel, what's wrong? Do you not like it?" Marie asked soothingly, wiping away the tear.

"No, it's not that. The dress is perfect," I replied. "I don't want to do this. I don't want to look this perfect, and be in a place where people marry their soul mates, only to make a promise to spend the rest of my life with someone I don't even know. Everything's too perfect, Marie."

"Rachel," Marie said, taking me into her arms while trying not to wrinkle my dress. "I know it's hard, but there's nothing we can do. Remember what I told you earlier? He is a really nice guy, and he will take really good care of you."

I nodded my head, trying to calm myself down yet again. "Okay. You're right. Maybe I'm just overreacting."

In that moment, the door flew open and my fathers stepped into the room. My daddy came running to my side and he covered his mouth with his hands, "Oh, Rachel, you look stunning."

"Thanks, Daddy," I said, giving him a hug.

My dad hugged me next, "Rachel, you're so beautiful. That boy isn't going to know what hit him."

My daddy seemed to notice my anxious expression, "Rachel, is everything okay?"

I took a deep breath, "Yeah, everything's going to be fine." I looked in between my fathers and Marie, "I think I'm just going to step outside for a minute"

"Do you want me to come with you?" Marie offered, giving me a worried look.

I shook my head, "No, I'll be fine. I'll be back in just a few minutes, I promise."

"Okay," Marie said. "Don't be long. The ceremony will be starting soon."

After promising the worried Marie that I would only be a few minutes and that I was not planning to run away I was finally able to step outside. As I exited the building I walked into a beautiful garden area on the outside of the building. I lifted my dress up slightly so it wouldn't get dirty from the ground.

I took a deep breath and calmed myself completely.

I had a feeling that everything was going to be okay.

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**The wedding is in the next chapter! :)**


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